Spectrum Mundi

Created in collaboration between the MACK FOUNDATION and the PArt Foundation / Spiegelberger Foundation, the exhibition brings together 24 new paintings from the “Chromatic Constellations” series, which were created over the course of the past year. The title is derived from the Latin word “spectrum” and refers to the complexity of colors, as well as to the inner image that takes shape in the soul.

This new cycle of works encapsulates Heinz Mack’s ongoing exploration of color, perception, and the immaterial qualities of light. The 24 paintings are executed in a uniform format and aspect ratio and relate to the 24-hour rhythm of a day: they trace the transition from the bright light of morning to the darker tones of night. Despite a largely uniform format, each painting possesses a distinctive chromatic identity. The structure does not arise from a predetermined compositional system, but rather from the relationships between the colors themselves. Mack has always understood color as an essential element of human experience, shaped by the tension between its material presence and its immaterial effect on perception.

Mack explores the cycles of time and permanence, as he himself explains: “As is well known, art only ‘temporarily’ captures people’s interest, and art-historical movements also result in a kind of ‘tempi passati,’ typical of our fast-paced times. The 24-hour aspect, of course, has been valid since time immemorial. The sun’s cycle lasts 24 hours.”

After Mack had largely abandoned painting in 1966 in favor of reliefs, sculptures, and land art, he returned to painting twenty-five years later and established an extensive body of work. At the center of this practice are the “Chromatic Constellations,” created since 1991, in which color itself—even after decades of a predominantly monochromatic visual language—becomes both the subject and the structuring principle. Through the subtle interplay of pigment, transparency, and light, these works create a multi-layered perception of movement, depth, and spatial complexity.

• Private Preview: September 2, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
• Exhibition Dates: September 3–13, 2026