Neo Rauch (*1960 in Leipzig) is one of the most celebrated artists of our time. Werner Spies has examined Neo Rauch's oeuvre and organized an exhibition that stages it in a new light. This publication presents major works by the star artist from the past twenty years, paintings that come from renowned German and European collections, both public and private.

Rauch's paintings are puzzling and apocalyptic. The artist says that these gloomy dream worlds "come to him" as he paints, without his having made any preliminary sketches or studies. While the works are extraordinarily attractive, the viewer will try in vain to unravel the true secrets behind Rauch's compositions. Often reminiscent of self-portraits of the artist, the figures seem to rise up from the depths of time and become projection surfaces for a multiplicity of interpretations.

Exhibition schedule: Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, May 27-September 18, 2011