Figurative painting between myth and present
Berlin is not only economically, but above all artistically in motion. In the middle of this city, the Gortaire Galerie showcased the solo exhibition “The False Sisyphus” by Matthias Illner from May 9, 2025, an exhibition that appealed to collectors, art enthusiasts, and critics alike.
In times of growing abstraction and digital art forms, figurative painting is experiencing a powerful renaissance. Illner's paintings combine classical imagery with psychological depth, dense symbolism, and social relevance. His cycle is a prime example of this:
“The False Sisyphus” weaves mythological metaphors with personal and collective experience.
A brain in the glass sphere: the questions of the exhibition
The exhibition combined large-format paintings, intimate text works, and philosophical depth. Illner stages his works not only as images but as spaces for thought, where central questions are posed:
- What does endless striving mean in a modern world?
- Is failure not also a moment of dignity?
- Why does his "false Sisyphus" carry a brain in a glass sphere?
The opening on May 9, 2025, offered an intense start: In his speech, the artist led the audience directly into the symbolic world of his works. Illner does not understand the figure of Sisyphus as a symbol of burden, but as an opportunity for self-discovery.
"The False Sisyphus" in the podcast
Diana Achtzig provides insights into the exhibition, the artistic concept, and the curatorial work, and shows how art can be successfully exhibited and sold today.
Achtzig Podcast #227
Artist Salon: Reading from "Stillleben"
Accompanying the exhibition, Matthias Illner invited to a reading from his book Stillleben at the gallery on May 30, 2025, at 7 PM. Musical improvisations on an Indonesian jaw harp made the evening an experience for the mind, heart, and senses.
Conclusion: Sisyphus lives – and he paints in Berlin
With "The False Sisyphus," Matthias Illner shows that figurative art can do more than please: it can provoke, make you think, and heal. The exhibition was not only an aesthetic but also an intellectual event.
Read more: In early 2026, the Gortaire Gallery showcased pastels by his father Klaus Illner (1947–2024). The analysis of this: The Naked Human: Klaus Illner's Pastels in the Gortaire Gallery.
A portrait of Klaus Illner and his life in wood, color, and sound: A Colorful Life: Memorial Exhibition for Klaus Illner in Schwerin.
Gortaire Gallery
Gortaire Galerie
Scherenbergstraße 6
10439 Berlin
Exhibition: "The False Sisyphus", from May 9, 2025
Free entry