“Auf Gedeih und Verderb” (for better or worse) brings together more than 30
paintings by Raphaël-Bachir Osman (b. 1992, France) and Franck Rausch (b. 1990,
France). Having studied alongside each other in Berlin, the artists present their work in pairs, and thus draw our attention to parallels in their practices that recur in both subject and style. Osman and Rausch use painting as a lens to examine their daily surroundings, be it neighborhood scenes or seemingly arbitrary objects in their homes or studios. Experimenting with different modes of texture, Osman elevates steaming potatoes or sausages to the protagonists of his delicate oil paintings, while Rausch creates the atmospheric depth of his characters and still lives with thick and rough layers of color.
“Auf Gedeih und Verderb” juxtaposes the work of two friends. It reveals their
relationship to each other as well as to painting itself. Moving between reality and fantasy, much of their work has a certain humor in common through which they convey both the good and the bad of being artists and friends who have accompanied each other over the years. Fragments of their conversations become visible on canvas, like an occasional detour into historical references, a gherkin herean allusion to Manet’s lemon there. As the title suggests, “Auf Gedeih und Verderb” confronts us with companionship and an unconditional love of painting, being simultaneously devoted to it and at its mercy. The exhibition at Gr_und is the first duo show of Osman and Rausch in Berlin and will be on view from 10 February until 1 March 2024.

Text: Linda Franken