Thaddaeus Ropac Publishes Catherine Millet Essay on Adrian Ghenie Paintings
June 19, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac released a text by Catherine Millet on new paintings by Adrian Ghenie. The Romanian artist born in 1977 and former leading figure of the Cluj school has turned from earlier subjects such as Hitler and Goering to figures walking the Via Appia in Rome, where he now lives. Millet writes that the hybrid grotesque figures appear less as caricatures and more integrated with surrounding vegetation, resembling indefinable dream images.
The Signal
The publication underscores Ghenie's sustained commitment to an internal critique of painting that prioritizes depth over surface trends, providing collectors and curators with a clear signal of his ongoing evolution from historical portraiture to landscape-infused scenes. For institutions tracking the Cluj school legacy, the text highlights how Ghenie's approach continues to distinguish itself within contemporary practice by embracing the grotesque and the oneiric without reliance on explicit political imagery.
- Artists: Adrian Ghenie
- People: Catherine Millet
- Galleries: Thaddaeus Ropac
- Locations: Rome
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