Jonas Bechtloff
Almanac
12 February - 26 April 2025
"Almanac" explores space as an archive of transformation and a stage for the fusion of science, ancient myth, and speculative fiction. The sculptures on display resemble relics of a cosmic diary – artifacts that carry both past eras and future technologies within them. In these works, astrophysical phenomena such as black holes, quantum fluctuations, and dark matter are combined with alchemical symbols and the longing for knowledge.
Each piece resembles a chapter of this imaginary cosmic almanac. Elliptical portals with radiant cores, neutron stars, or alchemical reaction vessels stand alongside sharp-edged structures whose cryptic forms and textures evoke dioramas or archaeological finds. The sculptures address transformation as a universal principle: matter is in a state of transition, between decay and renewal, referencing the very dynamics of the cosmos itself.
Here, ceramics are employed as an immediate, malleable material that, once fired, becomes a medium of temporal permanence. The tactile and haptic qualities of the material are emphasized as essential conditions of our capacity for understanding, made visible and tangible at the intersection of nature and technology, serving as the foundation for both artistic expression and human curiosity.
Space, in this context, is not only understood as a physical location, but also as a metaphor for the boundless human curiosity. In the juxtaposition of scientific objects such as laboratory equipment and radio telescopes with alchemical elements, such as references to the Tabula Smaragdina and transmutation vessels, rational knowledge and spiritual inquiry merge.
Particularly in works like Ghost in the Shell II or Replica, references are made to sci-fi visions of a utopian technological culture or a contemporary belief in technology, which promise humanity a transcendent future. Yet, even here, ceramics remain present as the material foundation, reminding us that the ongoing search for knowledge and transformation has its roots in simple, yet powerful processes.
"Almanac" – a term traditionally denoting a cosmic yearbook – invites visitors to view the universe as a living archive: a place where materiality, knowledge, and imagination continually take new forms, simultaneously revealing the boundaries and possibilities of human perception. It is a mapping of the invisible.
ARTWORKS
Alchemist manifesting,
2024
Ceramic & steel
80 x 60 x 13 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Feed me with weird things,
2024
Ceramic, wood & gouache
35 x 31 x 3 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Planetary roulette,
2023
Ceramic & steel
44 x 50 x 20 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Alchemist's manifest,
2023
Steel, ceramic & lacquer
80 x 60 x 13 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Ghost in the shell II,
2024
Incence, platinium, Amethyst, ceramic print, wood & steel
26 x 15 x 15 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Portal,
2023
Ceramic, acrylic, Mdf board & oil
60 x 60 x 20 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Marsian relict,
2021
Ceramic, wax, acrylic & wood
45 x 35 x 15 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Protoplanetarescheibe,
2023
Ceramic & steel
120 x 60 x 60 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Coordinates to connect 2,
2023
Ceramic & steel
80 x 60 x 13 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Arrival,
2023
Ceramic & acryl
46 x 36 x 36 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Obacht,
2022
Ceramic, wood & acryl
140 x 30 x 30 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff
Toys'R'us,
2023
Ceramic & steel
95 x 45 x 23 cm
Copyright Jonas Bechtloff