Galerie Paul Scherzer presents "searching for silence", the second solo exhibition by Halle-based artist Hanna Sass. Her works are characterized by gestural power, abstract forms, and an experimental approach to materials. The exhibition opens on March 7, 2026, at 7 PM and runs until April 11, 2026.
Opening hours: every Saturday from 2 PM to 7 PM
Hanna Sass, born in Berlin in 1985, lives and works in Halle (Saale). Since 2024, she has been head of the graphic printing workshops at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. Her artistic journey took her from carpentry to studying painting at Burg Giebichenstein, culminating in her master student degree with Prof. Paul McDevitt. Her works have already been exhibited in renowned institutions such as the Tisa Foundation.
In "searching for silence" Hanna Sass presents a selection of current works that captivate with their gestural approach and experimental use of materials. The artist describes her process as a constant search: "My art arises from a process that I constantly begin anew, and in which I discover, pursue, or discard things. The idea of an undertaking develops within my body, as an inner impulse, a vague feeling, a hunch."
A central motif in Sass’s work for a long time was the head, initially as a recognizable painting of people who had emotionally influenced her. Over time, the concrete memory dissolved, the head became a symbol, then an abstract form. "Now, with my woodcuts and etchings, I work completely freely, without a motif. It's about the moment and empathizing with myself and the present. The material should be broken open and revealed."
A particular focus of the exhibition is on the photo series "searching for silence". Here, Sass returns to the motif of the head, this time in analog black and white photography. Through long exposure, model movement, and negative processing, a series of seven images (1 x 1 m) was created, printed on matte photo paper and mounted on Alu-Dibond. "The strong grain of the film and the dimensions of the prints make the photos look like charcoal drawings or print graphics. Individual body parts are recognizable, but mostly shrouded in black, a search for silence in a noisy world."
The photo series "searching for silence" was created as part of a 2024 work scholarship from the Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt. The work scholarships of the Kunststiftung are funded by the Kloster Bergesche Stiftung.
The images place the human being at the center, yet they are barely visible. "It's about vulnerability, isolation, and the longing for belonging," says the artist. The photo series addresses today's desire for tranquility and the question of how we position ourselves in an overwhelming world.