The "Échos" exhibition, held at L'Annexe, 16 rue Nollet - Paris, from September 18 to October 2, highlighted the singular work of Anton Kaestner, a Swiss painter who has lived in Paris since the late 2000s.

His approach, which goes against the grain of traditional painting conventions, is based on the use of everyday materials and a distinctive technique - painting upside down on recycled extruded plexiglass- to transform the ordinary, turning discarded, industrial materials into something meaningful and transcendent. This process, where the artist lacks the visual feedback during the process and loses control over the outcome only to discover the final work when it is completed, introduces an element of surprise and revelation, giving each painting an almost mystical dimension, much like the experience of surrendering control to unseen forces or higher realities.

Kaestner works mainly with acrylic paints, metallic pigments and sprays, creating subtle interplays of superpositions and mirror effects. His works, although sometimes evoking the transparency and luminosity of stained glass, are completely detached from any figuration. These are pure abstractions, where the effects of depth and light invite the viewer to an introspective reflection. Each painting thus becomes an opening towards the exploration of the nature of reality, where visible and invisible merge.

Spiritual and Philosophical Quest: at the heart of Kaestner's approach is a methodical spiritual quest. Inspired by the great existential philosophies, he sees in his art a path towards personal accomplishment and enlightenment. Kaestner places aesthetic autonomy at the center of his work, encouraging the viewer to exercise personal judgment outside of imposed social and cultural frameworks. His creations seek to capture the vital impulse, this flow -life at the heart of live, "the lively" as he calls it- in perpetual mutation which animates human existence. More than a simple exploration of plastic beauty, his works question the nature of being, human emotions and the place of the individual in the universe. Kaestner thus offers a reflection on the "inner truth", without ever claiming to provide a definitive answer, but by encouraging the viewer to question his own relationship to existence.

Unity and Interconnection: another of the major characteristics of Kaestner's work is the exploration of the interconnection of elements. His works, with their juxtaposed layers and luminous reflections, are a visual illustration of this subtle harmony between the different aspects of the world. For the artist, the universe is an organic whole where each part interacts with the other. Light, color and transparency blend to create a unique sensory experience, uniting the viewer with the work in a meditative space where the boundaries between the inside and the outside are blurred.

A Universal and Introspective Language: what also distinguishes Kaestner's work is his refusal to impose a fixed or prescriptive interpretation. His paintings are deliberately open, leaving the viewer the freedom to project his own emotions and questions. In this sense, the work becomes an introspective mirror, a space where everyone can find their own personal path. Kaestner rejects the idea of ​​a fixed art, preferring a fluid, constantly evolving approach, capturing the ephemeral and fleeting emotions. Each painting is an invitation to vibrate in harmony with the sensations it arouses, in an intimate dialogue between the work and the one who contemplates it.

A Bridge between Thought and Perception: through his work, Kaestner creates a bridge between the intellect and the senses, between philosophical reflection and sensory perception. His works, with their play of light and matter, question the nature of reality and the way we perceive the world. The viewer is not a simple observer, but becomes an actor in the interpretation of the work, confronted with his own thoughts and emotions in a symbolic play of mirrors.

The exhibition "Échos" revealed an intimate and universal facet of contemporary art. Kaestner, by combining abstraction, spirituality and sensory exploration, opens new horizons where the individual is invited to -"lose control and come to your senses"-confront his own perception of the world. His paintings, witnesses and invitations of an introspective journey, capture the quest for meaning and harmony, going beyond the boundaries of the personal to reach the universal.

Audrey Solveig for AvantScope #27 - October 15, 2024.

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