Silence and Light in the Layers of White: Raimund Girke “white remains” at Walter Storms Galerie

White is not merely a color or the emptiness of a canvas; it is one of the most intense states of color, light, and matter. Focusing on the decades-spanning body of work of Raimund Girke (1930–2002), one of the prominent figures of German painting, and the passionate bond he formed with white, the exhibition “white remains” meets the audience presented by Walter Storms Galerie as part of Berlin Art Week.

Girke’s concept of “Fundamental Painting” takes shape in layers piled atop one another on the canvas surface, rhythmic brush movements, and subtle nuances that white forms with gray and blue. Wandering along the boundaries of light, density, and formal reduction, these canvases transform the painting surface from a visual object into a space of mental contemplation. This lucid language, developed by the artist with great discipline over decades, carries a timeless freshness today as well.

On view between September 11 and November 7, 2026, this retrospective selection also stands as a mark of a deep friendship. Having established a close professional relationship and a strong friendship with Girke since the early 1980s, Walter Storms brings together works from different periods of the artist through this bond etched in the gallery’s memory.

Opening its doors with an inauguration on the evening of Thursday, September 10, the exhibition succeeds in leaving behind everything that tires the eye amidst the crowd of images. Watching the refraction of light in the rhythmic layers of paint on the canvas lets the viewer feel the calming weight of being alone with the simplest elements of a painting.