The title of the exhibition derives from the aeronautic community. A term used when a plane has reached the end of its life or is forbidden to take off. Hölzl is interested in the life cycle of materials and their transformation after the death of their current use. The concept is mirrored in the first piece, the gutted fuselage of the DA42-VI aircraft, named END-OF LIFE cycle one (2022). Diagonally suspended from the back wall, the aircraft guides you down the stairs onto the tarmac for END-OF-LIFE cycle two (2022). The flooring is a direct replica of the runway at the former inner-city Templehof Airport turned park. During the blockade of Berlin, planes were said to be landing every 90 seconds to deliver vital supplies to those cut off in the West. Constructed from 100% recycled carbon fibre imprinted with paraffin wax, the surface is rigid under foot and carpets the entirety of the downstairs. The black carbon peers through the white wax, producing an impressive simulacrum of the well-worn landing strip.

Left: GROUNDED NO. TWO, 2020, Recycled carbon fiber, recycled paraffin wax, aluminum frame, 80 x 110 x 5 cm / 31 1/2 x 43 1/3 x 2 in, Unique. Right: GROUNDED NO. SIX, 2022, Recycled carbon fiber, recycled paraffin wax, aluminum frame, 140 x 100 x 5 cm / 55 x 39 1/3 x 2 in, Unique. Copyright: Daniel Hölzl, Courtesy: DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin, Photo: Jens Ziehe

On the walls hang separate series of works, repeating the same materials but with vastly different effects. Some have the appearance of intricate drawings depicting industrial machinery created using a complex process of layering the wax and then stripping it away. The effect produces subtle gradients of grey, picturing metal sheets bolted and riveted together in a patchwork. GROUNDED TARMAC NO. ONE and NO. TWO (2022) are more like abstract paintings with the molten wax of recycled candles impregnating the ridged surface of the carbon fibre in drips and pools. Imprints of tire tracks trace across the work as the wax cracks like ice. A smaller series cuts sections from the ground, taking the proportions from aeroplane windows and spacing them at identical intervals. This sequence is frankly titled GROUNDED WINDOW NO. ONE through to NO. EIGHT (2022). Every detail in the exhibition is purposeful and sets the stage for the viewer to ponder this complex industry that is, on the one hand, vital in contemporary society and, on the other becoming increasingly problematic. 

GROUNDED, 2022, Exhibition view, DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin. Copyright: Daniel Hölzl, Courtesy: DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin, Photo: Jens Ziehe

GROUNDED, 2022, Exhibition view, DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin. Copyright: Daniel Hölzl, Courtesy: DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin, Photo: Jens Ziehe

The show is deeply conceptual but does not rely on the press release, as the work speaks for itself. Too often in contemporary art, the stretch between the written words and visual outcome can only be reached by a leap of faith, misguided faith. Instead, the exhibition is accompanied by an essay by artist/curator/critic Mohammad Salemy who creates food for thought for those that want to dive a little deeper and understand the broader context of issues that arise from the pieces. All aspects of the show feel intentional. At no point does Hölzl veer into the decorative. Yet, with this unostentatious approach, the exhibition remains impressive and enticing. 

GROUNDED, 2022, Exhibition view, DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin. Copyright: Daniel Hölzl, Courtesy: DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin, Photo: Jens Ziehe

Anna Ratcliffe is a Berlin-based art historian who curates and writes.