”Whether calculatedly retro or often only half-consciously nostalgic, many things seem old today, and not only in the realm of painting. Dobliar’s paintings and works on paper could fit in quite well here – and in addition, they would have already received confirmation of their status in contemporary art. Nevertheless, situated right upon the border next to outfits currently in popular demand, these works behave in a quite refractory manner, even though their pleasingly patinated surface is thoroughly chic and comes quite close to all sorts of current looks (more retro than nostalgic or sentimental). At the same time, however, they convey the impression that the patina in Hansjörg Dobliar’s pictures could be referring to something else, could thereby possibly be allowing for some newer aspect than one would today be inclined to suppose. All of which first of all sounds like fairly grandiose verbiage. Well, if you please: not only do these pictures assert themselves in a highly individual way, but they also manage to have a compelling effect.”

Hans-Jürgen Hafner

< Daniela Stöppel