Sprüth Magers, New York · April 15 – May 22, 2026
The moment you step into the white cube of Sprüth Magers, located in New York’s Upper East Side, you are greeted by a fundamental question: Is this a painting, or is it an object? And that question is immediately followed by a much more provocative second one: Does it really matter?
The works of Richard Artschwager and Gary Hume meet at the center of this very ontological crisis, sharing the same basic inquiry: What happens to an object or an image when the surface itself becomes the subject? The idea of opening this discussion through the eyes of two different generations in the same room for the first time came directly from Gary Hume. Hume personally and carefully selected his own works to serve as a direct response to Artschwager’s legacy.
Artschwager’s Sliding Door II (1964/79), hanging on the wall, is the size of a real door but leads nowhere. Although rendered with extreme realism through its Formica-covered surface and metal handle, it is entirely dysfunctional as a door. On the other side, Hume’s Yellow Nude 8 (2015) consists of a black silhouette emerging against a bright yellow aluminum background. However, this painting represents not the body itself, but the void between the hip and the arm—the form of an absence. Both artists force the viewer to look at something that does not actually exist; to stare into the very heart of an illusion.
Leaving the gallery, you recall Artschwager’s famous and jarring statement: “I wanted to make paintings for touching and sculptures for looking at.” Hume takes this claim and completely turns it inside out: he creates a brand-new dimension designed for the eye, but instead of painting light, he carries it directly upon the surface, trapping the viewer and the surrounding space within its glossy reflection. When these two names come together, they hit us with the realization of how naively our daily act of looking and our perception of reality are built upon trust.
The exhibition closes on May 22; if you are in New York, be sure to add it to your route this weekend.
- Venue: Sprüth Magers · 22 East 80th Street, New York
- Dates: Running until May 22, 2026
- Key Themes: Ontological crisis, surface as subject, and the illusion of functionality.
