Name: Inge Schmidt: until then, plastic pieces and drawings
Start: 2026-10-29T15:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-29T19:00:00+01:00
Location: basedonart

Material, space and quiet tension: Inge Schmidt at basedonart

With Inge Schmidt: until then, plastic pieces and drawings, basedonart in Düsseldorf showcases an exhibition dedicated entirely to the quiet power of form, surface and spatial presence. The presentation runs from September 4 to October 31, 2026 and offers a concentrated look at a sculptor whose works develop an unusually dense aesthetic experience from simple, everyday materials.

When material becomes language

Inge Schmidt works with thin wood, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, tape, string, wire and glue. It is precisely these seemingly inconspicuous materials that open up a wide artistic space: They do not carry a pre-fabricated aura, but become plastic pieces with their own rhythm through precise placement, balance and proportion. The exhibition can be read as a study of works, where lines, surfaces, spaces in between and shadow zones enter into a quiet dialogue.

Sculpture as concentrated movement

Schmidt, born in Bonn in 1944 and living and working in Cologne for many years, studied sculpture at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main with Michael Croissant from 1975 to 1981. In 1987 she received a guest residency at the Villa Romana in Florence, and in 2018 the August-Macke-Medal of the City of Bonn. Her works, exhibited numerous times since 1982 and represented in both public and private collections, stand for a sculpture that is defined not by effects, but by formality, material awareness and spatial intelligence.

Exhibition atmosphere between lightness and construction

At basedonart, this position encounters a house that itself stands for curatorial constellations with cultural depth. The gallery was founded in 2018 by Dunja Evers and Thomas Mass and sees itself as an artist-run gallery with an international profile. Its focus on art-historical connections across times and cultures creates an ideal setting for Schmidt’s reduced yet highly precise sculptures and drawings. Those who linger here do not experience a loud staging, but an exhibition in which concentration, calm and perception grow.

Art historical classification

Schmidt's works connect to central questions of modern and contemporary sculpture: How does presence arise from reduction? How does material transform into meaning? And how can an object not only occupy space but actively organize it? Her work appears close to a poetic minimalism without becoming dogmatic. It is exactly in this openness that her strength lies: The sculptures and drawings invite slow contemplation and sharpen the perception of the relationship between line, weight, surface and emptiness.

Visitor note

The exhibition is a calm yet stimulating art experience for all those who want to experience sculpture not as a monumental gesture but as precise exploration of form. Anyone who engages with this subtle world of works discovers a compelling plea for the power of simplicity and for the beauty of precisely set spatial relationships. A visit to basedonart is definitely worthwhile.