Ulrich Haug's works are image and object. They are plan and rectangular – thus reminiscent of the contours of paintings. At the same time, they unfold an object-like and sculptural presence in space.

Panels and blocks of wax and concrete – these are the first impressions of the materials with which Ulrich Haug works and which could not be more different in their expression. What they have in common is the transformation from their warm, liquid to their cooled, solid state. Taking a deeper look reveals a wealth of raw substances: paraffin wax, honey combs from the unusual and patient communal work with bees, wood and charcoal, stones, bricks, wall plaster, bitumen, patinated lead armour, rusty wire, worn ropes, old photos and word fragments on letter paper, pigments in sky blue or umbra, inks, burnt, pulped and torn items.

These objects and materials are taken from their original contexts, modified, and re-assembled by the consciousness of the artist. They speak for themselves; they enchant and send out new signals. Once discovered, the secrets want to be revealed. They are legacies of mankind, who leaves traces of his way of life all over the place, which are then “preserved” for eternity.

His works combine tenderness and strength. They are quiet and meditative and yet invoke loud memories. They are transparent and profound, floating and, at the same time, heavy and have the effect of strangely familiar stone slabs, weathered house facades or precious treasure boxes.

They are not urgent works. Time and patience are immanent. They encourage the viewer to search and yet allow him to find himself, much in the spirit of the Chinese philosopher, Lao-Tse: “Deep calm is movement in itself”.

Betha Maier-Kraushaar – Galeristin Stuttgart

Vita (PDF)