aquabitArt gallery is proud to debut the works of Michael Kirch, a mathematician and former Wall Street strategist turned Berlin based artist and entrepreneur. For the past three years, Michael has focussed his energy on creating a series of gem-like sculptures and kinetic installations out of bronze, marble and alabaster in his studio in Berlin-Neukölln. The exhibition combines online and offline elements.

“Balancing Act”, the centerpiece of the exhibition, streams live from the gallery, 24×7, for the entire month. Here, a black sphere of 16 cm diameter glides over a 3m long slab of white marble which floats freely in space, suspended by steel wires. The continuously alternating movement, created by an invisible balancing mechanism, invites a meditation on beginnings, transformations and endings. Especially in the pandemic, it is a challenge to maintain or find balance. Viewers can play Balancing Act: Live much like a virtual fireplace on their television. The awareness that this is happening right now, in this moment, in Berlin, makes this a grounding and connecting experience.

On Thursdays 18:30-18:45 the gallery broadcasts an additional live stream in which the artist discusses selected works in the gallery.

In Michael’s works, sensuality, sexuality and beauty join together as one creative healing force. As the viewer walks around each sculpture, the object and the viewer engage in a collaborative play of shyness and boldness, of being vulnerable and safe, of being seen and in hiding. Each sculpture, poised in physical balance and aesthetic harmony, reveals a rich interior life through a change in perspective.

Michael Kirch says: “The dialogue of my works with the public is an important part of my creative journey. I hope that the combination of virtual and real-life elements enables the beginning of this dialogue in a way that is appropriate in the current pandemic environment. It has always been my desire that the exhibition should be a safe space, a space where viewers can experience their feelings with gentle curiosity. What exactly is a safe space? How do we create safe spaces? These questions have occupied me for a long time, yet they took on a new dimension in the pandemic. The ever changing nature of these questions finds my personal expression in this virtual-physical exhibition.”