The first series (Corona I-XXI), made in March and April, refers to typical human reaction patterns to the existence of the deadly virus. From initial arrogance and sociable repression (keyword: Corona parties) of expert advice, to fears when unexpectedly ill, to grief when deaths occur, the artist shows the broad spectrum of human behaviour in the face of the growing threat of the virus and how it increasingly dominates and restricts social and individual life.
They are disturbing motifs because, on the one hand, the consistently colour-intensive and colour-expressive subjects reflect the plump, rich and socially interconnected life of the Western style that many of us are accustomed to and, on the other hand, the creeping process of decomposition caused by the deadly virus gradually becomes visible. The ninth and last watercolour in the series stands in striking contrast to these gloomy depictions, Corona IX. Above a landscape of blue mountains, green forests, reddish-brown fields, five oversized coronaviruses float like stars in a violet sky.
The virus, which is a threat to human existence, seems to be a blessing for nature. Mountains awaken, fauna and flora blossom, the sky becomes clearer, rivers, streams and groundwater recover from the burdens of sewage and rubbish, in short: the earth breathes again.
In view of unprecedented destruction of nature, overpopulation and industrially controlled food production, it is high time for this. ‘Progress’ is stagnating, man is pausing, and perhaps he is taking the opportunity to reflect on his responsibility for the earth.
In his second CORONA series (CORONA XXII-XXVIII), which was created in May 2020, Andreas Felger brings this reflective aspect to the fore. The exclusively abstract paintings, with which he continues the abstraction of his painting of the past years, not only catch the viewer’s eye with their intensive colourfulness and their distinct patterns, they also invite the viewer to dive into the openness of their interpretive spaces and to ponder what is offered in this hour.
