Vera Röhm Poetry of the Cosmos

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Vera Röhm

Vera Röhm works with space and time. In many ways, she deals with the precision and clarity of reality and observes the formal beauty of proportions. With great continuity, she has gone in search of images of objects and constructions to highlight the connection between body, movement and cosmic phenomenon. The exhibition Vera Röhm – Poetics of the Cosmos at the Cadoro – Centre for Art and Science of Gallery Dr Dorothea van der Koelen in Mainz-Hechtsheim presents a selection of new works from various work cycles. On the ground floor of the Cadoro, the large installation Laborinth and the sculpture Bogentor can be seen. We would like to present this part of the exhibition to you this week.

For the installation Laborinth, Vera Röhm joins three arch-shaped segments to form an open space. On the free-standing walls, which are over two metres high, the sentence “The night is the shadow of the earth” shines in 251 different languages. Since 1985, Vera Röhm has been working with this poetic statement, which was handed down by the baroque naturalist, astronomer and linguist Johann Leonhard Frisch (1666–1743).

The astonishing number of languages with their letters and symbols that seem both foreign and familiar shine out of the darkness. Their light pervades the room. In view of the diversity of its translations and typographies, the Laborinth invites us to discover a polyglot world: a cosmic phenomenon that all inhabitants of the earthly world experience daily is named a hundred times over and made visible in the languages of the world.

The Bogenentor is part of a new series of works. They are sculptures made of Corten steel and Plexiglass. They explore in variations the space of possibilities of arch and gate, the balance of forms in relation to each other and the freedom of the figure in space. Changing radii and wide or narrow curvatures of the arch determine the aesthetic perception of the physical presence of the sculptures. The various arched gates thematise the precise relationship between dimension and idea, the measure, and the idea of the round. They demonstrate the relationship of materials to each other and the difference between the geometric figures of circle and sphere or line and stele.

This week, the room-sized sculptures will be set up in the Cadoro – Centre for Art and Science. Every art lover will be able to see for themselves what the finished exhibition will look like when the show is ceremoniously opened on 22 April 2023. However, we are already offering a glimpse behind the scenes of our exhibition building and the construction work: with our video impressions of the exhibition construction. Have fun watching.

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