Simon Mielke

Simon Mielke's paintings are like a register machine that records the bleakness of "worker-student-artist life" in the Rhineland. They are documents from his life that are there to be relived. To show what happened, to remember, to share. It is at the bottom of a whole mantra of anti-ambition, anti-effort that generates its own autonomy. Dress like everyone else and ultimately adopt a style that is aware of our dark ends. Why paint something else if you don't have to? Mielke's paintings become like pop-ups that crackle every now and then, capturing seconds that then make you want more seconds because ...

Simon Mielke, born 1990 in Essen, lives and works in Cologne. His recent exhibitions include Von der Unmöglichkeit einer schönen Küche, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Hamburg (Solo exhibition by Frieder Haller in collaboration with Alison Yip and Simon Mielke) (2023); Joggen, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf (2022); TIERE, Catherine Zeta, Cologne (2022); Daily Business, Kunstverein Siegen (2022); Love Insurance, Löwengasse, Cologne (with Tomomi Yamakawa) (2021); from the basement to a hill, Peach, Rotterdam (2021); Neue Charakter, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf (2021); should we get lunch, i want to burn this plac ...