Double Feature at the Orangerie
The Orangerie in Munich's Englischer Garten is currently hosting Double Feature, an exhibition that brings together the latest creations of Roswitha Kammerl and Georg Steidinger. While each artist employs a distinct visual language, the exhibition unites them in a shared exploration of the female figure. Kammerl's work immediately commands attention through its technical diversity and visual intensity. Her large format oil paintings, marked by bold colours and striking contrasts, create scenes imbued with irony and dramatic tension. These pieces draw the viewer in with their theatricality, demanding engagement while leaving space for personal interpretation. Complementing the oils, a series of watercolors runs along two parallel paths: one set of figures inspired by fashion reflects Kammerl's background in design and the continuing influence of sartorial aesthetics on her practice; the other presents nudes rendered with a lightness and elegance that speak to a more intimate, timeless contemplation of the body. This tension between the ethereal and the weighty gives her oeuvre a compelling rhythm, moving effortlessly between vibrancy and quiet reflection.
Steidinger, by contrast, adopts a graphically driven approach, emphasizing contrasts, bold silhouettes, and typographic interventions. His work recalls poster art and urban aesthetics, translating the immediacy of street imagery into a fine-art context. The female figure emerges centrally across his compositions, from solitary portraits to group arrangements that convey collective presence and energy. One particularly arresting piece pairs the outline of a woman with a skull, creating a dialogue between life, mortality, and visual form. Other works employ overlapping words, forming a rhythmic texture that bridges language and image, a reference to fashion and modeling, where text and visual representation constantly intersect. Steidinger's fusion of linguistic and pictorial elements transforms his canvases into a space where narrative, form, and symbolism coexist.
Despite their contrasting techniques, the exhibition encourages reflection on cultural codes surrounding the representation of women. It avoids prescribing a singular interpretation, instead offering multiple layer. The interplay between Kammerl's painterly elegance and Steidinger's graphic boldness underscores the multiplicity of female representation in contemporary art, while also emphasizing the dialogue between abstraction, figuration, and cultural commentary.
The experience extends beyond the works themselves. Both artists contributed to the exhibition's welcoming atmosphere, engaging with visitors and sharing insights into their processes. This openness created a sense of intimacy and accessibility, allowing audiences to understand not only the visual outcomes but the thought processes that underpin them. The evening experience was further enlivened by live music, which complemented the exhibition's visual vibrancy and imbued the space with a festive, celebratory air.
Double Feature demonstrates the power of pairing distinct artistic visions within a single thematic framework. Kammerl and Steidinger navigate different mediums, techniques, and conceptual approaches, yet converge in their exploration of femininity, body, and societal perception. The result is a cohesive yet dynamic exhibition that resonates across multiple levels, appealing both to those interested in contemporary painting and to audiences attuned to cultural and fashion discourse.
In a city like Munich, with its rich artistic heritage and thriving contemporary scene, this exhibition represents a meeting point between tradition and innovation. It showcases how contemporary artists continue to interrogate familiar subjects,such as the female figure through evolving visual languages, creating work that is intellectually stimulating, visually compelling, and emotionally engaging.
For visitors and collectors alike, Double Feature offers a opportunity to witness two complementary yet contrasting visions, each challenging and expanding perceptions of the body, identity, and representation in today's art world. The Orangerie's serene setting further enhances this encounter, allowing viewers to experience these works in an environment that encourages contemplation, dialogue, and appreciation.
