At first glance, Jochen Hein’s paintings appear to be fascinating instances of landscape painting. When we fully engage with them, however, the artist takes us on a metaphysical stroll. On our way through his landscapes, we encounter insights not only into our own perception, but also into our own existence in the world. What do we see and what do we think we see?

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Jochen Hein’s painting thematically engages with the double reflection of the surface—in the figurative as well as in the literal sense. This surface turns out to be surprisingly deep. The controlled chance deployed in the painting process creates a complexity that time and again confronts the artist, and the viewer, with the essence of reality. Jochen Hein “dis-illusions” our viewing habits and expectations. With each step one takes closer, his images increasingly atomize into pure color. This abstraction and timelessness, based on the absence of all traces of civilization, create an openness in the work that offers space for subjective memories. Jochen Hein both lets us see the landscapes through his eyes and creates places of collective visual memory. Perception, imagination, memory, and reflection overlap to produce a recognition that makes a true picture possible in the first place.  – Anne Simone Krüger