Lutz Bacher

Portikus, Frankfurt

Portikus

Exterior view of a tall red building with a peaked grey roof. On the grey roof is a huge white line drawing titled, "Duck/Bunny." If you look at the drawing one way it appears to be a duck, but the beak of the duck can also appear as the ears of a bunny if it's looked at another way. The sky around the building is pale gray and the trees are all bare of leaves.

A closer view of the large white line drawing titled "Duck/Bunny" on the roof of the tall red building. If you look at the drawing one way it appears to be a duck, but the beak of the duck can also appear as the ears of a bunny if it's looked at another way. The sky around the building is pale gray and the trees are all bare of leaves.

Exterior view of the tall, red building at night, the white line drawing on its roof illuminated. The grey roof is all dark, but the line drawing is glowing. The Duck/Bunny image reads more clearly and stands out from the surrounding neighborhood and skyline.

Installation view of a dimly lit gallery. The walls are white with numerous vertical inset windows and three large, cube-shaped monitors on a floor covered with sparkling black sand. The monitors show two brightly illuminated spheres, one larger and one smaller, that appear planetary or celestial.

Closeup of the sparkling black sand that covers the floor of the gallery. It looks like it's being illuminated by moonlight.

Installation view of a large white gallery space with a gray concrete floor and florescent lights along the perimeter of the ceiling. On the floor is a large square made up of an irregular pattern of smaller squares in different shades of white, ivory, black, and gray. Large cutouts are arranged on the board like game pieces, making the installation seem like a life-size chess board. The cutouts are of a camel, a dinosaur, Elvis in a gold suit, a replica of a sculpture by Duchamp of a white stool with an inverted wheel mounted on top of it, and two white shapes that appear more like traditional chess pieces, but enlarged.

Overhead view of the chessboard-like installation. From this angle, it's clear that only the dinosaur and Elvis are cutouts, and the rest are 3D sculptures. In the center of the board is the replica of Duchamp's inverted bicycle wheel on a white stool. Surrounding it at the 6 o'clock position is the camel sculpture. At 9 o'clock is one of the enlarged, white chess pieces. At 11 o'clock is the tyrannosaurus rex cutout. At 1 o'clock is the cutout of Elvis in a gold suit. And at 3 o'clock is the other chess piece.

Another view of the same chessboard-like installation taken from right behind the camel. From this view we can see that the camel sculpture is a ruddy brown with an uneven surface that might be paper mache. To the right of the camel is one of the enlarged, white chess pieces that might also resemble stone ornaments in a garden. Further to our right is the cutout of the tyrannosaurus rex, about the same height as the white chess piece. Lastly, in front of the dinosaur, is the replica of Duchamp's wheel sculpture.

Another overhead view of the chessboard-like installation with the whole board visible. In the center of the board is the replica of Duchamp's wheel sculpture. Surrounding it at the 6 o'clock position is the camel sculpture. At 9 o'clock is one of the enlarged, white chess pieces. At 11 o'clock is the tyrannosaurus rex cutout. At 1 o'clock is the cutout of Elvis in a gold suit. And at 3 o'clock is the other chess piece.

Another view of the same chessboard-like installation from an angle behind one of the enlarged, white chess pieces. From this angle we can see that the form is a hollow, semi circular shell like a curved cutout that can stand because of its half circular base. The interior is light brown. In the background we can see Duchamp's wheel, the camel, and the other white chess piece.

Another view of the chessboard-like installation taken from eye level. Directly in front of us is the camel, whose body partially obscures the white stool behind it, the bicycle wheel appearing to float out of the its hump. To the left and right are two enlarged, white chess pieces. The t-rex and Elvis cutouts stand behind.

Another view of the chessboard-like installation taken from a position within the board. We see the camel in the foreground, its neck angled toward the wheel sculpture. Elvis and one of the enlarged, white chess pieces stand behind.

Another view of the chessboard-like installation showing a close up of the replica of Duchamp's wheel sculpture in the foreground and the cutout of Elvis in a gold suit in the background. On closer inspection, the smaller squares that make up the larger game board appear to be linoleum tiles commonly used in kitchens or other public or commercial spaces.

Another view of the chessboard-like installation showing a close up of Duchamp's wheel sculpture in the foreground and the green t-rex cutout in the background. The t-rex doesn't look very realistic. Rather, it looks like a replica one might see in a diorama at a natural history museum, or at a theme park.

A large photograph with a white frame hangs in a white stairwell at a place where the steps begin to wind. The photo shows a toddler with light skin and red hair standing with their hands pressed against a mirrored surface. On the left side of the image, the toddler's head is shown in profile, looking directly at the mirror. On the right side of the image, we see the toddler's reflection looking directly out at us.

Tighter view of the large photograph in a white frame that hangs in a white stairwell at a place where the steps begin to wind. The photo shows a toddler with light skin and red hair standing with their hands pressed against a mirrored surface. On the left side of the image, the toddler's head is shown in profile, looking directly at the mirror. On the right side of the image, we see the toddler's reflection looking directly out at us.

Lutz BacherPortikus, Frankfurt

Exhibition Images

Lutz Bacher
Portikus, Frankfurt