Internationally acclaimed German artist Jürgen Partenheimer holds his first solo UK exhibition at Ikon. Comprising new and recent painting, works on paper and sculpture, Partenheimer’s work also embraces poetry, music and literature, to assert a continuity between them and an experience of daily life. His artistic proposition is philosophical, encouraging us to challenge the distinction normally made between reality and imagination.

Partenheimer’s work is essentially abstract. The drawings and paintings shown here, caught seemingly on the verge of dissolution, are remarkable for their fragile beauty, whilst sculpture and ceramic work, suggesting some usefulness, remain elusive with respect to any specific function.

Such ‘aspiration to the condition of music’ –abstraction, in other words – is signified by the artist’s collaboration with Irish composer Kevin Volans, resulting in a new piece of music entitled The Partenheimer Project. A recorded version will be incorporated into a sculptural installation located in the gallery. Premiere live performances by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group will take place at Ikon with a 10-player ensemble of strings, woodwind and brass taking cues from Partenheimer’s practice and that of the interconnected galleries, creating physical displacement that provides exciting and surprising opportunities within the overall musical structure.

A fully illustrated catalogue including a CD recording of The Partenheimer Project is available to buy from Ikon Shop.

To coincide with his exhibition at Ikon, Jürgen Partenheimer has produced a limited edition, The space between (from the Copan diary). Available in an edition of 9, for £680 from Ikon Shop.

For further information about Jürgen Partenheimer please visit www.jurgenpartenheimer.com

Ikon will also show Jürgen Partenheimer’s work off-site, at one of Birmingham’s most historic landmarks, Perrott’s Folly.

Developed in collaboration with Kunstmuseum Bonn, Jürgen Partenheimer’s exhibition Discontinuity, Paradox & Precision is kindly supported by West LB, Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, The Hinrichsen Foundation, The Britten-Pears Foundation, the Goethe-Institut, Trustees of Perrott’s Folly, Trident Care and Support, The Conservatoire and School of Art at Birmingham City University and ThesArte Stiftung.

Kevin Volans’ composition is co-commissioned by Ikon, BCMG and Kunstmuseum Bonn. BCMG would particularly like to acknowledge financial assistance through its Sound Investment Scheme.