Texts & Press

Thomas Wachholz (b. 1984 in Cologne) presents his third solo exhibition one, two, three with Ruttkowski;68 in Bochum.

Thomas Wachholz (b. 1984 in Cologne) presents his third solo exhibition one, two, three with Ruttkowski;68 in Bochum.

His practice revolves around the matchstick and its box as medium and motif, exploring repetition, rhythmic sequences, and the dynamics of relationships. Through overlays, fragments, and oversized forms, he creates sculptural compositions that reframe perception and human connections.

Beginning with the simple trick of two matches burning together like a kiss, Wachholz translates this ephemeral image into bronze. Surface traces, edges, and irregularities become markers of industrial culture, yet his works retain a poetic lightness. The weight of the material seems to dissolve into the density of his compositions, whose parts extend into space like drawings transformed into objects.

His sculptures appear like puzzles that resist a final resolution, shifting into new constellations as viewers move around them. They recall a musical rhythm, in which repetitions and variations function like jazz riffs. In their formal and conceptual structure, the works enter into dialogue with artists such as Joseph Kosuth and Joel Shapiro. Through this interplay of materiality and idea, Wachholz creates an antithesis to reality, a field where heaviness and tenderness, structure and playfulness, coexist in a delicate balance.

Text: Philipp Fernandes do Brito