570 drawings. Arranged in nine collections, made between 1991 and 1992. Each slightly different from the others, each “nearly unique.” This is the simple but inexhaustible question of Allan McCollum’s “Drawings” series: in the midst of serial production, what makes an object singular?
570 Times the Same Question
McCollum’s practice is one of the most consistent voices in conceptual art. Born in Los Angeles in 1944, since the 1970s he has pursued a systematic investigation of repetition, reproduction, and originality.
The “Drawings” series is an important link in this investigation: each drawing made by the same production logic, but each physically unique. Scale, form, content are fixed but being hand-made makes each one slightly different. That difference is small but real. And precisely that small difference makes visible the border between “singularity” and “sameness.”
This is simultaneously an aesthetic, a commercial, and a philosophical question. In the art market, “singularity” is the basis of economic value. McCollum interrogates that foundation and in doing so produces 570 concrete objects.
At Galerie Thomas Schulte
Galerie Thomas Schulte, in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, with a programme of many decades, has been tracking McCollum’s practice for a long time. This exhibition is the gallery’s presentation of these works under the title “A Moment in Time.”
The exhibition opened 4 July and runs until 15 August. Wednesday to Saturday, 12:00-18:00.
FAQ: Allan McCollum “Drawings”
- How long does the exhibition run?
“A Moment in Time: Drawings, 1991-1992” runs 4 July – 15 August 2026 at Galerie Thomas Schulte, Charlottenstraße 24, 10117 Berlin. Wednesday–Saturday 12-18.
- What is McCollum’s “Drawings” series?
Hand-made drawings made in 1991-92, produced serially but each physically slightly different from the others. 570 pieces arranged in 9 collections are presented in this exhibition.
- Why does this exhibition matter?
McCollum’s practice is one of the most systematic voices in conceptual art addressing the repetition/originality question. This presentation of 570 drawings is a concrete whole of that investigation.
NO-26 Note
A thought-enriching exhibition for anyone curious about the “singularity” economy in the art market. Worth standing in front of for a long time each drawing is nearly the same, but not.
