On View: 5 September – 18 October, 2025.
Opening Reception: 5 September, 2025 | 6 – 8 pm
September 4, 2025 (Cologne, Germany) – Gathering is thrilled to present Stefan Brüggemann’s second exhibition with the gallery, opening 5 September at Gathering Cologne. On the occasion of this show, Gathering is excited to announce the co-representation of Stefan Brüggemann in Germany in collaboration with Hauser & Wirth.
Brüggemann will situate Untitled (Faith) at the centre of the gallery’s interior. At two metres long, fifty centimetres high and carved from Italian marble, the sculpture’s minimalist, bench-like form subtly echoes a cross laid flat, merging function with symbolism to invite reflection on the sacred within the everyday. Black and red spray paint and stencilled vinyl lettering inject the work with fragmented text, interrupting the clean geometry and introducing a poetic tension between gesture and structure, ephemerality and solidity.
Brüggemann explores the possibility of language through the inclusion of text, particularly laconic phrasing, in his minimalist works. Through words, such as ‘sex’, ‘sun’ and the title of the sculpture, ‘faith’, the artist activates greater meaning, powerfully resonating with a society defined by rapid movement, the noise and superfluity of everyday messaging and the ennui of AI-generated slop. Brüggemann’s practice reflects a contemporary iteration of the Baroque painter’s chiaroscuro: angling tension and contradiction to spotlight spiritual and philosophical themes.
Covering the windows in red vinyl, the artist intervenes with the gallery space for SPEED, transforming its interior into a contemplative space akin to those of Catholicism. Fittingly situated near the gothic Cologne Cathedral and the Kolumba Museum, which houses the 1950 chapel nicknamed ‘Madonna of the Ruins’ by Gottfried Böhm, Brüggemann’s vinyl resembles stained glass, and invites viewers to consider faith, doubt and perception.
The artist reflects this dialogue in his works of gold leaf and spray paint that feature symbols of the cross. Brüggemann challenges more traditional materials like marble and gold leaf – that might be found in cathedrals or historical spaces – with spray paint, aluminium and vinyl lettering, elements that inform the artist’s characteristically punk aesthetic. With sound, materiality and conceptualism, the artist subverts the idea of a ‘sacred space’, instead presenting something more experiential and contradictory in a continually shifting world.
SPEED is a cacophony of interdisciplinary elements that elicit both the monumental and the intimate. Together, the components of the show deepen the artist’s longstanding investigation into language, representation and context, while responding directly to the material and conceptual possibilities of the gallery. The exhibition is accompanied by a commissioned text by Udo Kittelmann, curator and former Director of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.
About the artist:
Born in 1975, Stefan Brüggemann is a contemporary Mexican artist known for his multidisciplinary approach, incorporating elements of conceptual art, language and text-based works into his practice. His works often challenge societal norms and question the influence of mass media and consumer culture on contemporary society. Throughout his career, Brüggemann has worked across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video. His works are characterised by their minimalist aesthetics and stark visual impact. He often uses bold typography, neon lights and high contrast colours to convey his message with precision and clarity.
Brüggemann’s work has been exhibited internationally in renowned art institutions and galleries, including the Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland; Centre George Pompidou, Paris France; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA and CGAC, Santiago de Compostela Spain.
The collaboration between Gathering and Brüggemann began with his inclusion in Painting Not Painting, a duo exhibition with Bruce Nauman, held at Gathering Ibiza in 2024. Gathering then presented a solo exhibition of Brüggemann’s work, titled Residual Presence, in Mexico City, coinciding with Zona Maco in February 2025. The show focused on the interplay between text and material, particularly silver leaf – a signature element in Brüggemann’s work – inviting viewers to question meaning and value through the lens of existential and transcendental themes. Following Gathering's expansion in Cologne, Brüggemann designed and produced an aluminium bar installation for Café Central. In Spring 2026, Brüggemann will present a solo exhibition at the Philara Collection, Düsseldorf.
“It’s an extraordinary honour to welcome Stefan, a world-renowned artist whose voice so distinctly captures the spirit of our time, to Gathering. We’re equally proud to co-represent Stefan with Hauser & Wirth, a gallery whose ethos of collaboration is becoming an industry standard. We are thrilled to present Stefan’s first solo exhibition together in Germany this autumn which also marks Stefan’s debut show in his homeland as a Mexican German artist.” — Alex Flick, Founder and Director of Gathering
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
Exhibition Details
Stefan Brüggemann
SPEED
5 September – 18 October, 2025
Opening reception:
5 September 2025, 6–8 pm
Opening hours during DC Open:
September 5: 6–9 pm
September 6: 1–7 pm
September 7: 1–5 pm
Address
Roonstraße 108
50674 Cologne
About Gathering:
Founded in 2022 in the heart of Soho, London, Gathering is a contemporary art gallery, presenting a diverse exhibition programme of international emerging voices alongside established artists, including Emanuel de Carvalho, Tamara K.E., Soojin Kang, Ndayé Kouagou, Wynnie Mynerva, Tai Shani and Oda Iselin Sønderland. In 2023, Gathering inaugurated GLASSHOUSE, an alternative strand of programming which fosters emergent creative practitioners alongside Gathering’s main exhibitions. In 2024, the gallery expanded to Sant Miquel de Balansat on the island of Ibiza, carrying the cutting-edge programming and artist-led ethos of Gathering to an international stage. Following its expansion to Ibiza in 2024, Gathering launched in Cologne, marking the next step in Gathering’s continued growth and dedication to supporting progressive artistic practices across Europe.
Image Credits:
1. Installation View of Stefan Brüggemann, SPEED, 5 Sep–18 Oct 2025, Gathering, Roonstraße 108, Cologne. Courtesy of Gathering and the artist. Photo: Roman Häbler and Lars-Ole Bastar.
2. Stefan Brüggemann, Untitled, 2025. Graphite on paper. 12 5⁄8 x 4 in., 32 x 10 cm. Courtesy of Gathering and the artist. Photo: Roman Häbler and Lars-Ole Bastar.
3. Stefan Brüggemann, Untitled, 2025. Graphite on paper. 12 5⁄8 x 4 in., 32 x 10 cm. Courtesy of Gathering and the artist. Photo: Roman Häbler and Lars-Ole Bastar.
4. Detail of Stefan Brüggemann, Untitled (Faith), 2025. Marble, spray paint, vinyl lettering. 24 3⁄8 x 783⁄4 x 393⁄8 in. 62 x 200 x 100 cm. Courtesy of Gathering and the artist. Photo: Roman Häbler and Lars-Ole Bastar.