In the rebellious, protesting, and transformative spirit that pulses through Düsseldorf’s art veins, this week we find ourselves at a very special stop on this floor of Apartment No:26. One of the city’s most enduring figures—co-founder of the legendary 1960s art cooperative LIDL, an artist who wields art and activism like a scalpel—Chris Reinecke presents “ZEITBLÖCKE” (Time Blocks) at Beck & Eggeling gallery.
For many years, Reinecke remained a treasure waiting for the attention it deserved on the dusty shelves of art history. Yet in recent times—especially with the ‘Grund und Boden’ exhibition at K21—this belated recognition is finally becoming institutionalized. This month’s exhibition traces the artist’s development from the 1970s to the present, inviting us not merely to a painting show, but to a laboratory of thought, observation, and social transformation.
The 1990s: Leaving the Observation Station
The heaviest—and perhaps most mesmerizing—“time block” in the exhibition belongs to the 1990s. Rarely (or never) shown before, these works flow from Reinecke’s studio in Duisburg at the time like visual streams of consciousness.
“Leaving the Observation Station”: The artist’s approach in this series feels less like that of a painter and more like a researcher-traveler.
Collage and Layers: In compositions where text and image intertwine, personal notes, travel experiences, scientific and social debates collide.
Spatial Context: The industrial and social fabric of Duisburg in that period appears in Reinecke’s canvases not merely as landscape, but as a field of questioning.
Evolution of Form: From Paint to Monumental Paper
Reinecke’s artistic journey evolves from the intense painterly language of the 1980s toward his distinctive large-format paper works of the 2000s and today. This development arises from the artist’s constant willingness to throw his own strategies and concepts into the fire and rebuild them.
Permeability and Contemporaneity: It is 2026, and even in Reinecke’s newest works one can still feel that youthful, permeable spirit. The “exceptional freedom of thought” that refuses to bow to the art market or institutional expectations lends his pieces a striking contemporaneity.
Material Truth: The fragility and monumental scale of paper feel like a refined modern projection of the artist’s activist spirit from the 1960s.
“Art can become a participatory experience and a transformative force in society and democracy.” — Chris Reinecke
The Wisdom and Energy of Turning 90
The artist, who will celebrate his 90th birthday this July, continues to live and work in Düsseldorf. ZEITBLÖCKE is presented not as a retrospective, but as blocks representing the different states a restless mind has taken over time. If you want to be reminded that art is not merely a commodity, but a way of life and resistance, visit this quiet yet profound layer in Düsseldorf before heading to the glittering galleries of Savile Row or Berlin.
Exhibition Information
Artist: Chris Reinecke
Exhibition Title: ZEITBLÖCKE / Time Blocks
Venue: Beck & Eggeling, Düsseldorf
Dates: Until March 26, 2026
Highlights: 1990s works from the Duisburg studio, large-format paper pieces, and previously unseen collages.
Before leaving this floor of Apartment No:26, take one more look at how objects can remain so “close” without ever touching. This spatial interpretation of friendship whispers a great deal about our own efforts to maintain distance amid the crowds of city life.
