LIGHT TOUCHES at Palais Bellevue: Experience light, paper, and language


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LIGHT TOUCHES: When paper begins to shine at Palais Bellevue
Barbara Beisinghoff's exhibition LIGHT TOUCHES transforms Palais Bellevue in Kassel into a poetic resonance space of light, paper, and language. Delicate, hand-made watermark papers engage in a silent dialogue with daylight in front of the historical windows. Only in backlight do intricate signs, words, and visual spaces become visible. The exhibition is on view from August 27, 2026 to January 2, 2027.
An aesthetic experience between the visible and the invisible
The barrier-free accessible exhibition leads through three floors of Palais Bellevue. The historic building becomes an active component of the installation: windows, spatial axes, shadows, and materiality combine to create a finely composed exhibition atmosphere. The changing light alters the impact of the paper works, making each artwork viewing a dynamic art experience.
In the Sohar, the book of brilliance, the first spark of light is also the first word. This connection of light and language forms a poetic starting point for the exhibition. Paper does not appear for Barbara Beisinghoff merely as a carrier of images, but as an independent medium for perception, memory, and meaning.
Watermarks, literature, and spatial effect
On the first floor, a visual axis connects the ochre-colored watermark in the fireplace room with the white artwork Light of the eye and of the mind in the opposite room. The restrained color scheme develops a compelling spatial effect in daylight and draws attention to the fine transitions between surface, transparency, and immateriality.
On the second floor, visitors encounter watermark words from Christa Wolf's Cassandra. In the astronomy room, further watermark images reference the historical use of Palais Bellevue, which Landgrave Karl built in 1714 for astronomical studies. In a display case, there are the artist's book Copper Engravings Live from Gaston Bachelard's The Poetics of Space and a white sheet with words from a poem by Marina Tsvetayeva, written with a water jet.
Barbara Beisinghoff and the art of paper
Barbara Beisinghoff works at the intersection of graphic art, paper art, artist books, and site-specific installation. Her work includes color etchings, handmade papers, watermarks, and public art projects. Lines, fibers, inscribed texts, and light signs make the material itself a bearer of poetic and philosophical meaning.
Under the vaulted arch of the library, three layers of watermarks slowly rotate above one another. Light moves over the paper surfaces, forms shift, text appears and disappears again. This concentrated installation makes the aesthetic experience physically palpable and opens a silent dialogue between visibility and invisibility.
Accompanying program and cultural education
Conversations, readings, and a leporello workshop deepen cultural education around the exhibition. On October 25, there will be a leporello workshop with Susanne Mihm-Lutz from 2 to 5 PM; participation is by registration. On November 15, Marcus Angebauer and Heiko Schimmelpfeng will read prose and letters from Rosa Luxemburg to James Salter under the title The World in the Window. On November 29, there will be a conversation with Brigitte Zypries, former Federal Minister.
Conclusion: A silent art experience with great radiance
LIGHT TOUCHES invites art enthusiasts to a sensuous exploration of light, paper, literature, and historical architecture. The exhibition shows how delicate watermarks create a dynamic picture space. Anyone wanting to experience the nuances between the visible and the invisible and discover Palais Bellevue from a new perspective should definitely visit this exhibition live.
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- Website: https://www.beisinghoff.de/










