The artist collective is an idea that’s been reinvented many times, and now perhaps the artists Adele Röder and Kerstin Brätsch have done so again. Their brainchild is ‘DAS INSTITUT’, a collective that, unlike more utopian versions, does not really promote the group above the individual or relish anonymity. Rather, it blurs together works by different artists in the context of an exhibition.
DAS INSTITUT’s latest self-titled show, at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, is based around the layering of Röder and Brätsch’s distinctive practices, especially Brätsch’s Mylar paintings and stained-glass works, and Röder’s neon sculptures. They’ve also incorporated various other artists, including a sound piece by Sergei Tcherepnin and a film by respected artist and historian Alexander Kluge.
What binds it all together, essentially, is aesthetics. The exhibition is a sensory overload, winding its way around the gallery with garish lights and unnerving shapes appearing in a range of media. In partitioned-off corners you encounter Brätsch’s psychedelic marbled paintings, and some unusual slide shows. Especially grotesque is the Am Sonntag series, featuring doctored images of Röder and Brätsch themselves with thin necks and witch-like noses.
The works are big and brash, and materials are fetishised throughout, with plenty of slick surfaces and wooden crates being used as improvised pedestals. Here DAS INSTITUT seem to recall an older sort of collective, one based on a sharing of different crafts. Generally, though, this project could only be called collective in a superficial sense. With its sinister atmosphere, it seems more like a parody of harmonious collaboration.
The collective is one that that, unlike more utopian versions, does not really promote the group above the individual or relish anonymity. Pictured: COMCORRÖDER Breast, by Adele Röder, 2010/2015
Rather, it blurs together works by different artists in the context of an exhibition. Pictured: Solar Body Prints, by Adele Röder, 2013–14
In partitioned-off corners you encounter Brätsch’s psychedelic marbled paintings, and some unusual slide shows
A commitment to sensory overload binds the exhibition, winding its way around the gallery with garish lights and unnerving shapes appearing in a range of media. Pictured: Am Sonntag, from the series When You See Me Again It Won’t Be Me series, by DAS INSTITUT with Kathrin Sonntag, 2016
Information
'DAS INSTITUT' is on view until 15 May. For more information, visit the Serpentine Sackler Gallery's website
Address
Serpentine Sackler Gallery
West Carriage Drive
London, W2 2AR
-
This curved brick home by Flawk blends quiet sophistication and playful detailsDistilling developer Flawk’s belief that architecture can be joyful, precise and human, Runda brings a curving, sculptural form to a quiet corner of north London
-
Usher opens up about breakfast playlists, banana pudding and why a glass tumbler is always on his riderOn the heels of a collaboration with Baccarat, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter breaks down his entertaining tips. 'Hosting is an expression of how you feel about your guests and also who you are.'
-
The beauty trends that will define 2026, from ultra-niche fragrances to anti-ageing dental careAs we enter the new year, we speak to experts in fragrance, skincare, aesthetics, wellness and more about the trends that will be shaping the way we look
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week'Tis the season for eating and drinking, and the Wallpaper* team embraced it wholeheartedly this week. Elsewhere: the best spot in Milan for clothing repairs and outdoor swimming in December
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFar from slowing down for the festive season, the Wallpaper* team is in full swing, hopping from events to openings this week. Sometimes work can feel like play – and we also had time for some festive cocktails and cinematic releases
-
The Barbican is undergoing a huge revamp. Here’s what we knowThe Barbican Centre is set to close in June 2028 for a year as part of a huge restoration plan to future-proof the brutalist Grade II-listed site
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s wet, windy and wintry and, this week, the Wallpaper* team craved moments of escape. We found it in memories of the Mediterranean, flavours of Mexico, and immersions in the worlds of music and art
-
Each mundane object tells a story at Pace’s tribute to the everydayIn a group exhibition, ‘Monument to the Unimportant’, artists give the seemingly insignificant – from discarded clothes to weeds in cracks – a longer look
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, the Wallpaper* team had its finger on the pulse of architecture, interiors and fashion – while also scooping the latest on the Radiohead reunion and London’s buzziest pizza
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Wes Anderson at the Design Museum celebrates an obsessive attention to detail‘Wes Anderson: The Archives’ pays tribute to the American film director’s career – expect props and puppets aplenty in this comprehensive London retrospective
