Press Release
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR
Works from the Paul Ege Art Collection
26 April – 23 August 2026
Opening: Sunday, 26 April, 11 a.m.
PEAC Museum presents a new selection of works from the Paul Ege Art Collection in an exhibition titled So Close, Yet So Far, opening on April 26. This year’s exhibition is devoted to the charged relationship between proximity and distance, and spans a wide range of media—from sculpture, photography, and painting to sound, installation, and video. The approximately 30 works on display include new acquisitions that are being shown to the public for the first time. With So Close, Yet So Far, the museum continues its practice of engaging the collection in sustained dialogue between pioneering figures in art history and contemporary artists, continually re-examining it with an eye toward the present.
The dynamics of proximity and distance generate tension—whether in everyday life, in relationships or in art. The selected works exert a seductive pull, only to withdraw from the viewer at the very last moment: be it a sculptural painting whose harmonious color gradation suddenly stretches into infinity, a video projection of a never-ending drawing, or the glittering surface of a wholly hermetic object. This physical presence is counterbalanced by a level of meaning that defies clear interpretation. The works resist the desire to be fully grasped and instead remain impenetrable, distant. The exhibition proposes viewing this opacity as a productive quality. It slows the act of looking, keeps meanings open, and enables a form of relation that does not aim at resolution or clarity but at a continual negotiation of proximity and distance.
By inviting viewers to experience the works directly in the space, So Close, Yet So Far also raises universal questions that shape our present: How do we deal with something that cannot be fully grasped? What happens when things become so complex that they surpass our powers of imagination? How do we react when familiar systems of order lose their validity? And where is the line between the desire for clarity and the frustration of not understanding?
So Close, Yet So Far is part of an exhibition series that continually re-contextualizes the Paul Ege Art Collection. The aim of this active curatorial practice is to establish a lasting dialogue between pioneers of art history and contemporary (abstract) art practices. Through the collection’s specific focus, PEAC Museum creates an experiential space where the interplay between artwork, space, and viewer sharpens our ability to perceive ourselves and the world. Alongside works from the collection, the exhibition also features new acquisitions being presented for the first time, including works by Myriam Holme and Stephan Baumkötter. The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive supporting program featuring literary readings, concerts, and photography workshops. For more information, visit: www.peac.digital/socloseyetsofar.
Artists in the exhibition: Stephan Baumkötter, Astha Butail, Sebastian Dannenberg, Elger Esser, Johannes Geccelli, Lori Hersberger, Myriam Holme, Piotr Iwicki, On Kawara, Thomas Kitzinger, Takehito Koganezawa, Brigitte Kowanz, Moritz Neuhoff, Natalia Stachon, Dieter Villinger.
The exhibition is curated by Lea Altner, Director of PEAC Museum, and Dorotea Lorenz, curatorial assistant.
Press inquiries: Corinna Wolfien, Books Communication Art, mail@corinnawolfien.com,
+49 (0)175 56 76046
Press materials are available in the press section of the museum's website. Images available on request: mail@corinnawolfien.com
Press visits by appointment; please contact us at mail@corinnawolfien.com
About PEAC Museum
PEAC Museum is an exhibition space for modern and contemporary art with a rotating program of exhibitions. The museum also houses the Paul Ege Art Collection (PEAC) focusing on Minimal Art, Radical Painting, and conceptual practices from the 1970s onward. The museum is located in Freiburg on the premises of Alexander Bürkle, a company run by the Ege family for four generations. The exhibition spaces, opened in 2004 under the name "Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle," span approximately 1,000 square meters. Since fall 2019, the former “Kunstraum” has been operating under the name PEAC Museum. Lea Altner has led PEAC Museum since 2023, and will take on sole responsibility from 2026. From 2026, Isabella Wild will assume the newly created position of curator for digital communication and outreach. This role expands the museum's public programming and extends its reach to broader audiences.
Cultural partner of PEAC Museum: SWR2
PEAC Museum
Robert-Bunsen-Strasse 5
79108 Freiburg i. Breisgau
Phone +49 (0) 761/5106 600
Email team@peac.digital
www.peac.digital
@peac.digital
Tuesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Public holidays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mondays closed
Free admission