Mr. Biedermann and Mrs. Green

The painter and draftswoman Ellen Semen, who was born in Hamburg and has lived in Vienna for 20 years, surprises with pictures of longing for a world free of conflict. The superficially lovely painting takes you into an unadorned reality in which unexpected pictorial elements repeatedly enter the pictorial space. They challenge the viewer and put him to a hard test. The supposedly beautiful, and innocent is infiltrated by the surprising, the unpleasant. Harmlessness is mixed with horror. In the end, the rich, luminous tones reconcile, creating a positive and optimistic impression. Ellen Semen says: "My works are darkly designed, but brightly desired. Therefore, my images of longing stand for a world free of conflict."

In October 2020, BURN-IN presented the two series of works Biedermeier Reloaded and Floral Militancy in the exhibition Mr. Biedermeier and Mrs. Green. As a sensitive, seismographic storyteller, Semen reflects on significant global conflicts, revealing herself as an artist of the highest relevance.

BURN-IN has represented the artist since August 2020.