Volker Hermes: No Feeling is Final
28 April 2026 - 24 January 2027
Portraits have long helped shape how people understand identity, social status, and power. In the past, artists used clothing, settings, and symbolic details to communicate who a person was and how they wished to be seen. Today, in a culture dominated by selfies and constant image-sharing, these visual cues are often overlooked in favour of facial likeness alone.
In No Feeling Is Final, Volker Hermes digitally alters historical portraits by concealing the sitter’s face using elements from the original paintings. This subtle yet striking gesture draws attention to details such as costume, interior spaces, and ornament; features that once played a central role in expressing identity. By shifting focus away from the face, Hermes invites viewers to reconsider how identity is constructed and interpreted. The series connects historical portraiture with contemporary questions about representation, power, and individuality, offering a fresh perspective on the continuing relevance of portraiture today.
Feelings toward works of art, and toward artists themselves, are never fixed. They evolve over time. Paintings once experienced as powerful in youth may lose their resonance later in life, and artists who were once widely celebrated can gradually fade from attention.
Working from within art history, Volker Hermes is acutely aware of these shifting perspectives and the ongoing narratives that surround artists and their work. Through his practice, he seeks to open new ways of looking at historical art, adding a contemporary layer of interpretation and emotion; another chapter in the continuing story of how art is experienced and re-evaluated over time.