In her work, Paula Fröhlich (b. 1994) examines the conditions for the construction of space. She appropriates a given, real space by organising a visual space from it. With regard to her work for the RADAR series, mirrors, surfaces and lines are her preferred means of activating the space. Starting with the viewer's position in mind as well as the light conditions depending on the time of day, a dynamic interrelationship is created, in which real and constructed space condition one another reciprocally and intermingle constantly.

Spatiality comprises the determinability of proximity and distance, flatness and depth. As soon as a surface is extended by a third coordinate, it can be read as depth and thereby creates a perspectival relationship to the surface. Not until this third coordinate has been added can a perception of spatiality arise. However, this very moment of spatial perception is by no means constant, depending instead on the given viewpoint and is therefore ephemeral by nature. Although Paula Fröhlich constructs physically perceptible impressions of space in her work with this in mind, they always refer back to their material two-dimensionality. Thus, she deliberately exposes the constructed nature of these spaces and consciously distances herself from the tradition in painting of creating illusionistic visual space. Through the deliberate use of lines and coloured surfaces, Fröhlich reiterates the exhibition architecture in »Loop« – both in the space itself and in the picture. The strategic placement of reflective surfaces further intensifies the play of surface and depth: real space is reflected, not only referring to itself, but also because it becomes an image, thus obtaining a flatness. The transformation process between three-dimensionality and two-dimensionality is self-conditioning and perpetually self-iterating. The choice of colour here is based on the existing colour scheme of the Aegidiimarkt and the exhibition room itself (predominantly shades of grey, beige, brown and white), to which the chosen shade forms a brilliant contrast. At the same time, Fröhlich consciously chose a colour that distances itself from any symbolic coupling or direct association (e.g. green to denote a forest). In addition, when viewed for a prolonged period, the chosen tone may slightly affect the clear perception of the pure white, thus changing not only the legibility of different rooms, but also the impressions of colour that are further influenced by daylight.

In addition, Fröhlich also incorporates the almost wall-sized window of the room. It stands opposite the long side of the exhibition wall and presents a special challenge to the young artists involved in RADAR shows. For her part, Fröhlich makes use of its transparent and sometimes highly reflective quality by thinking of it as a translucent barrier between inside and outside, rendering it an indispensable element in her work. When viewed from outside, depending on the elevation of the sun, a reflection and consequently a doubling of the exterior space can be observed on the glass. Furthermore, the sun creates its own surfaces in the play of light and shadow on the walls of the exhibition space.

»Loop« is a thought experiment in material form. It reacts to the given reflections, surfaces and perspectives of the actual exterior and interior space and exponentiates them by adding more mirrors, surfaces and perspectives on the walls. Depending on their respective viewpoints and the time of day, Fröhlich offers viewers new scope for perceiving spaces in the interleaving of inside and outside whilst simultaneously confronting them with themselves in their reflections. Thus, Fröhlich sees the mirror as the material epitome of reflection: of itself, of physical, pictorial and metaphysical space.

Born in 1994 in Bensberg near Cologne, Paula Fröhlich studied fine art at the University of Fine Arts and also trained as an art teacher at the University of Münster. She completed the first part of her teacher training in spring 2017 with a BA thesis titled »Consciousness Strategies in the Age of Simulation. Aesthetic Experience as Opposition to Modern Iconoclasm«. She became Prof. Klaus Merkel's master student in 2019. As is the case with her theoretical work, her art practice focuses on philosophical discourses within an art context.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Franziska Kunze and Anna Luisa Walter (LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur)

_{Photos: LWL/Hanna Neander}