Henrik Schrat: Orangerie Bei Nacht

About

With their partially conical shape and silver materials, they could have escaped from the ethnographic collection of the Starship Enterprise, acquired on its travels through the ‘infinite expanses’ of space. The relaxed brush drawings unfurl themselves with tiny details and generously lavished surfaces.

The work reveals a kind of colonial history, which takes place on the fictional planet Tonder. Large-eyed beings, with childlike characteristics, are visited by four-armed caterpillars, bringing their inventions.

The central role is played by orangeries, which act as a symbol of beauty and power. But even the working caterpillars are only messengers for a greater mastermind... The works don’t have a linear narrative, but weave together a patchwork of stories.

The series can be understood as a classic societal parable, which uses friendly creatures, polka dots and pink fabrics to deal with concepts such as naivety and culture.

But just as fables are not just stories for children, the ‘Orangery By Night’ is abundant in depths and shallows.