ESCAPISM | VANESSA LUSCHMANN

Is the party over, or is it just about to begin? The sense of uncertainty and doubt that arises upon first encountering Vanessa Luschmann’s work feels deceptively light, even superficial—an innocent, almost inconsequential ambiguity.
Yet the title, Escapism, reveals far more substantial intentions. It frames the practice of this young artist, based in Munich, Germany, who seeks to explore human emotions as they are experienced in the present moment.
Her intent aligns closely with sociological and psychoanalytic approaches—fields more typically expressed through language, whether fictional or documentary. Luschmann, however, deliberately chooses to translate these inquiries into painterly compositions. What she creates are not simply portraits of our times, but reflections on the human condition—mediated, transformed, and sublimated. Rather than presenting her questions overtly, Luschmann conceals this emotional vulnerability behind everyday objects—obscured, one might say, by bold, saturated hues. Dominated by reds that naturally draw the eye, the viewer’s attention lands on what appears to be a party table: a wine bottle, colorful ribbons, a wrinkled, iridescent tablecloth, and a scattered arrangement of plastic cups. We, the viewers, are not just invited to participate—we are prompted to question: why is the mirrorball resting quietly on the table, almost overlooked, when it should be suspended at the center, orchestrating light and reflection? And who is meant to drink from the lone glass—a classic cocktail stem adorned with a playful vacation umbrella?
An exotic New Year’s Eve? A homecoming, souvenir palm-shaped bottle opener in hand?
Luschmann playfully distracts us with mundane, even joyful, details, while in fact constructing a storyboard worthy of the Theatre of the Absurd—one that enacts a shift in our emotional state. Escapism becomes not only an escape, but above all, a refuge.

Vanessa Luschmann
Escapism, 2025
Oil on canvas, 41 x 31 cm
Courtesy Vanessa Luschmann

03/05/25