What happens when familiar roles in public space are suddenly reversed? When the man in a suit sits on the street and the elderly woman gives him money? The painting “Milieu Exchange” plays with this very moment of disruption – and opens a window into a deeper, often overlooked reality: the social redistribution from the bottom up to the top.
The title “Milieu Exchange” suggests a deliberate shift in perspective. The image features two protagonists: In the lower left – a well-dressed man in a suit, sitting on the ground. In front of him, a bowl filled with coins.
In the upper right – an elderly woman carrying a plastic bag. Her clothing suggests a precarious social background. As she walks by, she casually tosses a coin into his bowl. At first glance, the scene appears surreal. But on closer inspection, a deeper truth emerges: the painting is a metaphor for societal dynamics that we already know – but rarely see with such clarity.
“Milieu Exchange” is more than just a role reversal. It points to a structural phenomenon: in a system shaped by liberal market logic, existing capital continues to grow, while many people fall behind despite effort and movement. The painting asks questions – it provokes, disrupts, and reveals without moralizing. In our complex consumer world, it’s difficult for individuals to make purchasing decisions that don’t, in some way, support the upward flow of wealth.
The development of the visual concept and the identification of its sociological core were the first – and most time-consuming – steps. This process took several months. A key source of inspiration was Thomas Piketty’s “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” (2013). Part of my artistic process is to begin with a factual, social issue. Only when I believe a topic is important enough to be shared with the world do I begin to create an image around it. Once the concept for “Milieu Exchange” was in place, I created a digital sketch. This was then transferred to canvas and framed.
For those interested in the piece, there are limited edition fine art prints available alongside the original. Each print is based on a high-resolution scan with precise color correction and is produced on premium Hahnemühle paper using the giclée process – numbered, signed, and carefully packaged.
If you’d like to see Milieu Exchange in person, I warmly invite you to visit one of the following exhibitions:
June 27 & 28, 2025 – 48h Neukölln, group exhibition, Berlin
July 1 – 15, 2025 – Denizen (Hidden Variables), group exhibition, Berlin