Press releases

Düsseldorf-based artist Volker Hermes (*1972) has gained worldwide recognition in recent years with his "Hidden Portraits" series. In 2024, the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum invited Volker Hermes to work on six portraits from the museum's own collection and cover their faces in accordance with his art. The museum was able to purchase his work "Hidden Pottgießer Suermondt-Ludwig" at the beginning of the year. It will now remain in the museum's collection permanently.

Under the title "Volker Hermes. Eye and Time", the unique results were exhibited at the SLM two years ago and met with a very positive response. The younger public in particular felt that Hermes' digital works appealed to them and responded positively to the show.

The collaboration with Volker Hermes arose against the background of allowing contemporary artists to enter into direct dialog with the collection and react to it. The museum aims to combine the familiar with the unfamiliar, thus enabling visitors to experience art in a substantially new way that expands their own horizons of expectation and knowledge and reminds them that the museum is always a contemporary place of experience and learning.

The successful symbiosis with Volker Hermes and the resulting extremely positive reactions confirmed this objective and the intention to continue to seek a dialog between the collection and contemporary positions.

The artist
Volker Hermes immerses himself completely—both artistically and thematically—in the portraits he digitally alters. With great respect, he familiarizes himself with the unique styles of the artists, adopting the forms, colors, and brushstrokes from the original works. He deliberately blocks eye contact, provoking the viewer by veiling the face and shifting the focus to the clothing, symbolic objects, and messages within the portraits—elements that serve as a reminder that such accessories play a decisive role in shaping the identity of the subjects. Hermes adds nothing; he works only with existing elements and reuses them in different contexts. The subject remains recognizable at all times. The results of these digital interventions are captivating, humorous, and socially critical. They bridge the gap to the present day and confront viewers with current issues such as equality, diversity, and the understanding of sexual identity.

The Work
: Volker Hermes, Hidden Pottgießer Suermondt-Ludwig, Photocollage,
2024 Fine Art Print, mounted on 2mm aluminum, 90% UV-protected glass

The "Portrait of a Man" (inv. no. GK 394) by the successful Cologne painter Johann Wilhelm Pottgießer (1637 - 1683) was among the selection of portraits from the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum's collection that Volker Hermes worked on. The painting shows a man depicted from slightly below, looking down from the picture in a confident pose with his hand on his hip. In his right hand he is holding a hat with gloves, which was fashionable in Cologne at the time, and in his left hand a folded letter on which no inscription can be seen.

On the back of the picture is a note with the number "44", which indicates Pottgießer's function as a Cologne councillor. In the old council registers, his name is listed under number 44.

This work, which was chosen as the poster motif for the exhibition due to its expressive depiction, has been digitally processed by the artist in a particularly humorous way: By putting a mask of Mexican wrestlers on the man from the upper middle class, Hermes demonstrates the strongly masculine terrain of the Cologne councillors. In contrast, the texture of the mask, taken from the fabric of the collar, is reminiscent of female underwear and is intended to counteract the masculinity of the sitter.

By integrating Volker Hermes’ artwork into the portrait collection, the museum offers a new and ongoing educational program for children and adults, allowing them to explore the theme of revealing and concealing in both digital and playful ways.
Furthermore, Volker Hermes immortalized the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum in the title of his works, ensuring that they will forever be associated with the museum. This is an exception in his oeuvre.