Roland Biermann
"Rheingold"
A site-specific installation at St. Mary's Times Square, New York

14 May - 30 July 2023
Opening reception: Sunday, 14 May, 5:30pm

St. Mary's Times Square is proud to present two new single works by internationally acclaimed artist Roland Biermann in the form of a site-specific solo exhibition.

Fusing contemporary issues with religion and mythology, the Rheingold photographs show a black and gold plastic carrier bag, floating in used engine oil. In the first image, a plastic bag is floating on the surface, in the second one, a plastic bag is half submerged in the oil. Shot outdoors in stormy weather, the surface of the oil reflects grey skies and dark clouds.

Merging photography and non-permanent sculpture, the work can be seen as an allegory for greed and the hunger for power, leading to crime and destruction. Created with the waste of the consumer society, negative side-effects of capitalism - past and present - come to mind as well as the cardinal sins and in a wider context, the darker side of human nature.

Printed in a new combination of digital techniques and analog screen printing on special-grade tinplate panels, courtesy of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, the work combines a silvery, reflective surface with a strong physical presence. The golden walls of St. Mary's present a poignant stage for the dystopian beauty of the work.

Roland Biermann (born in Bonn, Germany) is a London-based conceptual artist working with photography, film, sculpture and installation. Notable solo exhibitions include De Hoftuin/Hermitage Museum, Amsterdam (2019), Trinity Wall Street, New York (2018), Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong (2016), maestroarts, London (2016), Goethe-Institut, Paris (2011) and German Embassy, London (2013 and 2010/11). His participation in international group shows has included 'Monuments to the Future', Henry Luce Center, Washington, DC, 2021; 'Shanghai Exposure Awards', Shanghai Photofairs, Shanghai, 2020; 'Summer Exhibition', Royal Society of Sculptors, London, 2019; 'Photography is Magic', Aperture Foundation, New York, 2016; 'Between Worlds', Renmin Gallery, Beijing, 2015; 'Journeys', Jewish Museum, London, 2015 and '8. Rohkunstbau', Berlin/Brandenburg, 2001.

Founded in 1870, St. Mary's Times Square is an iconic Manhattan landmark, equally renowned for its gothic-inspired architecture, its Anglo-Catholic tradition, extraordinary music program and dedication to serving the community. Under the leadership of Interim Rector Sammy Wood and Associate Rector James Ross Smith musical offerings stand along Roland Biermann's Rheingold photographs and work regularly exhibited in the gallery - testament to the church's commitment to walking in the Way of Beauty for the life and floundering of New York City.