WHITE — Paintings Behind the Mask
Kunstverein Ebersberg, Old Distillery Hall, December 2020
In December 2020, during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Germany, museums and galleries were closed. Public cultural life had come to a complete standstill.
At that moment, artist Björn Nonhoff initiated one of the rare artistic gestures of that period: an exhibition without visitors.
Working in his studio, he began covering earlier paintings with layers of white paint — a quiet visual echo of the masks worn on every face outside. These transformed canvases became the core of the series WHITE — Paintings Behind the Mask.
As a board member of the Kunstverein Ebersberg, Nonhoff had access to the exhibition hall in the old distillery building. In the empty space he installed the works as a full exhibition — even though no audience was allowed to enter.
The show existed in a paradoxical state:
an exhibition carefully installed, lit and curated —
yet without public.
Only a handful of artists and collaborators were able to encounter the works in person. The exhibition became less a public event than a quiet artistic act during a time of collective isolation.
An exhibition for nobody.
A rare moment in which art insisted on existing — even when no one was there to see it.
As it was allowed to take friends in there – one by one – this article of Peter Kees who also curated some of the rooms was published in the newspaper. It is entitled “the rage of mister Nonhoff”.
WHITE — Paintings Behind the Mask
Kunstverein Ebersberg, Old Distillery Hall — December 2020
In December 2020, during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Germany, museums and galleries were closed. Cultural spaces stood silent.
In this moment of absence, artist Björn Nonhoff created an unusual exhibition: a show installed with full care and intention — yet without visitors.
Working in his studio, Nonhoff began covering earlier paintings with layers of white paint. The gesture echoed the masks worn across society — a quiet visual response to a time of distance, uncertainty, and collective withdrawal.
These transformed works became WHITE — Paintings Behind the Mask.
As a board member of the Kunstverein Ebersberg, Nonhoff had access to the exhibition hall in the old distillery building. There he installed the works as a complete exhibition, despite the fact that no public was allowed to enter.
The show existed in a paradoxical state:
a fully realized exhibition space — without an audience.
Only a small circle of collaborators and performers encountered the installation directly. A series of intimate performances unfolded within the empty rooms, including the Lucia Light Performance on December 13th, when candlelight was carried into the silent gallery at dawn.
The exhibition became less a public event than an artistic act of presence during a time of cultural suspension.
An exhibition prepared with care.
Installed with precision.
And witnessed mostly by silence.
Virtual Walk Through the Exhibition
https://youtu.be/AP8QzrXihGo
Speechless Sprachlos – Performance on 1.12.2020
the opening ceremonies 1.12.2020
Here is the virtual gallery walk through the lockdown art exhibition.
And some of the paintings.
deleted dance performances
An famous dancer with the vision of dancing the invisible and the artist improvising on voice, piano and saxophone did a series of dance performances in the space of the white exhibition. The inspiration and power of the empty rooms with the empty white canvasses were very powerful. So both experienced a deep dive into the unseen and what was reflected to them was so overwhelmig they together decided to also put the dance behind a mask.
Lockdown Dance Performance Session
A video of these Dance Performances will be published soon.
further Performances / Events upcoming
The performance speechless by the german poet Björn Nonhoff
talk & listening
if you like to share 60 minutes of listening whatever you like to talk about let us meet in the exhibition and share some of our dreams, thoughts, fears, hopes. As I consider it very healing to be heard this may spread a little luck among us. please ask for a time via email at info@zeitreich.de
Price List valid since 3.12.2020
The titles of the artworks changed, the value went up.
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit – but what do you want here?
Installation 4 pieces, 8000,- Euro
- Loneliness, 350,- Euro
- Unschuld – innocence, 12.000,- Euro
Complete Exhibition White 42.000,- Euro
Room Concept
The room concept was born during the exhibition, when the artwork was finally placed by Peter Kees and Björn Nonhoff. It is an invitation of reflection where and who you are.
The entrance room is called the waiting room. You enter, do not know what to expect, where to go, can check the choices and arrive.
The long room with the piano and the artwork – lonelyness is called Bardo of Life. It reflects your life and the development and choices you can make during your life time.
The large room was called Bardo of becoming, as here are the most white canvasses, a fitness bike and a chair. You can sit on a bench, which was dedicated to Guru Rinpoche, the wellknown Guru from tibet. A fitness bike you can sit and train your body and mind. And a few combined canvasses from lost towards Fremdling. Here the visitor could sense the new unborn possibilities until he went out through the waiting room again.
Artwork
Björn Nonhoff | Paintings behind the mask – white
1.12 – 13.12 im Kunstverein Ebersberg
Der Lockdown geht weiter. Grund genug eine Guerillia Ausstellung in den heiligen Hallen ohne jegliches Publikum stattfinden zu lassen. Die Anschaffung eines Anwesenheitsrobototers für persönliche Führungen steht und fällt mit der Finanzierung von Kultur. Unter der Rubrik „Bilder hinter der Maske“ gibt es die Lockdown Adventsausstellung nur im Internet oder durch die zugehängten Fenster zu besuchten. Oder sie haben Glück. Achtung!
Weiter Infos über den Künstler Björn Nonhoff und Ausstellung finden sie hier
Thanks – Danke
Danke an Peter Kees für die Hängung und Leihung des Fluchtfahrzeugs., den Kunstverein Ebersberg für die Räumlichkeiten, Anna Kanz für ihre Tanzperformance und die Stille für Inspiration. Danke der Stadt Grafing und Stadt Ebersberg und all Ihren Bürgern für das Sein in diesen Schweren Zeiten des Lock Downs.