Telescope I 2008

Regine Schumann created this artwork with fluorescent acrylic glass, with an obvious interest in the possibilities of new materials and the aesthetics of light. Consider the context in which Schumann started making art: West Germany in the 1980s. The art world was dominated by the established institutions of the gallery system and the art school, with a renewed interest in painting and sculpture. There was, however, also a counter-current of younger artists who challenged these norms through new media and unconventional materials. With its bold colours and machine-made surfaces, Schumann’s artwork can be understood as part of this challenge. The effect of this piece lies in the optical and luminous qualities of the material, playing on the cultural association of acrylic with technology. To understand this, you can research German art magazines from the 1980s and nineties to explore the debates about the value of new media. The meaning of this piece emerges from the interplay between artistic innovation, the institutional structures of the art world, and the wider currents of cultural change.