ART IN THE UNDERGROUND

“I don't know what's going on, but it's a lot” ... no other fleeting thought could better sum up the beginning of the year 2024: Anyone riding the Berlin subway these days will suddenly find themselves in a resonating chamber of their own lost thoughts and daydreams at Hansaplatz station. Where normally billboards try to get their commercial messages into the heads of passers-by, Stefan Marx's artistic intervention opens up space for thought. “Dreaming of Kiyosumi Park”, “Adieu Wrong Plans”, “I'm here to sing you songs” in Ukrainian, “Listen to the Rain” in Vietnamese, or “Thank you for Waiting” in Japanese - with his large-format typographies, the Berlin-based artist lends a poetic form to the confusion of thoughts and everyday reveries.

Stefan Marx. 16 Hintergleisflächen © GROTTO Berlin, 2024

In keeping with this underground project, the name of the new space for art and culture, initiated and by curator Leonie Herweg, which will officially open on February 1 in a building atop the subway station, is reminiscent of a baroque subterranean cabinet of curiosities: Grotto. However, this grotto is part of the Hansaviertel, one of Berlin's finest examples of mid-century modern architecture, and it is open to everyone, not just the leisurely strolling few.

The exhibition with the title 16 Hintergleisflächen runs until 31 January 2024.

Stefan Marx, 16 Hintergleisflächen, 2024, Hansaplatz © GROTTO Berlin

Stefan Marx has a keen sense for transforming snippets of conversation or song lyrics into an interplay between medium and message, art and pop through his drawings, graphics, and paintings. His unique typefaces have been enlarged into posters for the exhibition.
Marx spent his youth skateboarding, a passion that led him to art. Starting with designs for record and fashion labels, the Berlin-based artist is now internationally renowned, exhibiting his work from Tokyo to New York.

Stefan Marx, 16 Hintergleisflächen, Hansaplatz, 2024 © GROTTO Berlin

While Stefan Marx’ subway posters might not fit into most of our living rooms, Hatje Cantz has published several books in close collaboration with the artist, testifying to both to his signature style and the diversity of his work.

Stefan Marx – Schriftbilder / Type Works

For more than two decades, Marx has been working with typefaces, translating song lyrics and quotes into poetic paintings and drawings—this book is the first comprehensive collection of his remarkable bridging of art and pop in various media.

Stefan Marx – Schriftbilder/Type Works | Hatje Cantz Verlag

Stefan Marx – Notes

Stefan Marx draws a lot: on large and small sheets of paper, on colored or white paper, on cardboard, porcelain, skateboards or textiles. But what always accompanies him is a notebook for all his ideas.
From these notebooks, he has developed an edition: 4 different covers and surprise drawings here and there in between a lot of blank pages for your own thoughts. If you buy a single notebook, you leave the choice to chance; if you don't want to miss any of Marx's drawings, you can buy the whole set.

Stefan Marx – Reading the News

In 2019, Stefan Marx spent a month drawing a column for the New York Times dedicated to the love of reading the daily paper. This resulted in his artist coloring book Reading the News. With its large format and thick cardboard pages, the little fruits and veg in this unique book not only make newspaper readers smile.