Vorsprung durch Technik 

Group Exhibition January 16 - February 21 2026

The first exhibition of the year at Gallery Poulsen is titled Vorsprung durch Technik. Many recognize it as the slogan of the car manufacturer Audi, which can be translated as “technological advantage” in English. It refers to superior technological skill—a position historically associated with Germany in many fields. In an artistic context, the title pays tribute to painterly craftsmanship and the artists who master it with exceptional skill.

The exhibition turns its focus toward Europe, and particularly Germany, and the European art-historical tradition. We live in unpredictable times, where the future may feel uncertain. We do not know what lies ahead, but we do know what we have, and what our culture and artistic traditions are built upon. The European art tradition is a living treasure, constantly reinterpreted in new ways. For centuries, artists have created works that reflect periods of crisis, conflict, prosperity, and poverty — a legacy that continues to inspire contemporary artists today.

The four German painters featured in the exhibition work with modern expressions while remaining firmly rooted in tradition and technical mastery. The artists are all highly talented, drawing on diverse sources from the old Dutch still life painters, through 20th-century modernist architecture and functionalist design, to the organic and surrealist lines that became hallmarks of figurative painting in the early and mid-20th century.

As the world-renowned art historian E. H. Gombrich writes in The Story of Art, art often reflects both the artist’s mind and the time in which it was created—an artwork is therefore always more than its subject.The European painting tradition has evolved over centuries, where technique, symbolism, and ideas developing from craft to concept. Artists have long used their work to mirror societal values and transformations—from realistic depictions to modernist experiments with form, color, and abstraction. This rich heritage—from technical skill and symbolism to innovation and conceptual freedom—forms the foundation for Vorsprung durch Technik.

Julia Hochbaum, who lives and works in Leipzig, draws directly on the Dutch still life tradition, especially inspired by masters such as Pieter Claesz, Rachel Ruysch, and Clara Peeters. These still lifes went far beyond beautiful motifs, serving as experiments in color, light, and symbolism, where the subject became a medium for both the artist’s personal expression and the values of the time. Using layered techniques, Julia incorporates everyday objects such as tennis balls and fruit into classical compositions, exploring the relationship between illusion and reality as well as themes of decay and decadence. Her meticulously detailed paintings invite viewers to new discoveries with every glance. Julia’s signature cocktail still lifes represent a modern form of alchemy, where glass, ingredients, and composition create subtle narratives of life, moments, and symbolism.

Katharina Husslein, based in Munich, draws inspiration from both Dutch still life and her upbringing amidst the natural surroundings of the Black Forest. She paints hyperrealistic floral still lifes, where color, light, texture, and botanical details depict vibrant bouquets and lush landscapes. Husslein’s work conveys symbolism relating to love, femininity, and the beauty of nature, continuing the experiments of the old masters with a contemporary perspective and personal poetic touch.
As she describes it:
"I create paintings that capture the joy of the moment, where everything seems still and perfect, and the flowers are in full bloom—a timeless metaphor for seizing the moment and enjoying it fully."
A closer look reveals arrangements of plants that rarely bloom at the same time, emphasizing the artistic freedom of her work and her deep engagement with nature’s diversity.

Tobias Stutz from Bonn represents a conceptual visual language with clear traits from the Bauhaus tradition, where functionalism, geometry, and clarity in composition are central. His works depicting functionalist buildings draw parallels to artists such as Piet Mondrian, neoplasticist and cubist, and David Hockney, the postmodern figurative painter known for his colorful studies of perspective and architecture. Tobias combines the geometric lines and clear color planes of Cubism with a playful approach to perspective and space.

In his most recent paintings, Tobias explores the frame—both as a physical limitation and as a conceptual element. He investigates how the frame defines the content of the image, whether in the three-dimensional space of architecture, the framing of a window, or the characteristic white border of Polaroid photographs. His “shaped canvases” often break out of the traditional frame, creating a hybrid between painting and wall sculpture through trompe-l’œil effects that challenge the viewer’s perception. The German word Vorsprung can also mean an architectural balcony, projection, or cantilever—a symbol that resonates perfectly with Tobias’ spatial and innovative works.

Jule Waibel, a multidisciplinary artist based in New York, tells both personal and universal stories of femininity and motherhood through her figurative paintings. Her work combines organic, soft forms with geometric structures, creating a tension between the living and the arranged, the intuitive and the structured. This visual language draws on modernist painting from the interwar period, where experiments with form, rhythm, and abstraction were central.

With a background in product design, Waibel brings particular attention to composition and balance, and her works radiate energy, clarity, and freedom—from the pulse of the city to the calm of the home. The combination of figurative narrative, strong color use, and geometric structures creates a contemporary visual language that connects present-day art with the tradition of experiments between organic life and structured form.

Vorsprung durch Technik invites Gallery Poulsen visitors into a dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation, craft and concept. The exhibition highlights how German artists today continue to contribute to Europe’s living art history—with technical mastery and a keen awareness of contemporary challenges, dreams, and possibilities.

The exhibition presents over 20 new oil paintings by the four artists.
Opening Reception: Friday, January 16, 5:00–8:00 PM
Gallery Poulsen, Staldgade 32, Copenhagen
For more information, contact: [email protected] | +45 33 33 93 96

Installation images