View Gregor Hildebrandt’s solo exhibition Kraniche Ziehen Vorüber (Cranes Passing By) at Perrotin Seoul, 2024. Photo: Hwang Jung Wook. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.Perrotin Seoul presents “Kraniche Ziehen Vorüber (Cranes Passing By),” a solo exhibition by Berlin-based artist Gregor Hildebrandt (b. 1974), through June 29.
Gregor Hildebrandt’s signature media are cassette tape and vinyl, which he collages and assembles into apparently minimalist yet latently roman- tic paintings, sculptures, and installations. Resting in silence behind the glossy surface of his analog aesthetics, which verges on black and white monochrome, music and cinema haunt his practice. Whether pictorial or sculptural, all of his works contain prerecorded materials, which he references in the titles. These pop-cultural sourc- es, usually a single song, are meant to trigger both collective and personal memories.
Like analog storage media, his distinctive rip-off technique is a metaphor for the mnestic process itself: it consists in rubbing magnetic coating against double-sided adhesive tape stuck on canvas to trace intricate and elusive powdery patterns. Further relating to architectural Gesamtkunstwerk, Hildebrandt’s monumental sonic barriers made of stacked, bowl-shaped records and his sensual wall curtains made of unreeled tapes create paths for the visitors of his shows.
Returning eight years after his first solo exhibition in Korea at the gallery in 2016, the show will present the artist’s recent works, including his signature series of colorful vinyl columns, as well as his use of analog music storage media like cassette tapes. Hildebrandt’s evolving practice, which has drawn from rich cultural references, including music, literature, and film, will be presented through the analog nature of the materials, triggering our memories and nostalgia, offering viewers a synaesthetic experience.
