Darkroom

Dear fellow artists,

I am delighted to welcome you all, and I hope that in this project we can find a form of expression that brings us closer to the life and work of this genius.

Ludwig van Beethoven composed his late works in a world where external hearing had fallen silent. The music no longer arose from external sound but from an inner necessity, from memory, imagination, and resistance. His deafness was not an end but a shift in perception.

My own artistic work also arises from a limitation. Sixteen years ago, I lost my right eye; since then, my vision has been limited. Instead of fighting against this loss, I have integrated it into my practice.

I paint in a specially built dark room. I cannot see what I paint, but I continue to paint, and this premise connects me in a certain way with the experience of that genius we celebrate today with our artistic works. To introduce myself, I am sending you a photo of me in the darkroom of my studio.

Many artistic greetings
Esteban von Wilhelm