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Galerie Peter Kilchmann is pleased to present Erledigt (Done), the second solo exhibition by Swiss artist Christoph Hänsli (*1963 in Zürich, where he lives and works) at the gallery and his first at our Rämistrasse premises. Hänsli is renowned for depicting found or collected everyday objects—often easily overlooked— at a 1:1 scale in his figurative painting. He subtly incorporates a quiet, understated humor, which endows his work with its irresistible, effortless charm. In Erledigt, new paintings in small and medium formats, executed in acrylic on canvas or MDF, as well as acrylic on canvas mounted on MDF, from the years 2024 and 2025, fill the gallery spaces on Rämistrasse. At the center of the exhibition is a new series of works: painted lists in various forms, such as checked-off or crossed-out to-do lists and shopping notes. Occasionally, the artist interrupts this new repertoire with familiar motifs from his oeuvre.
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Lists are a familiar tool that accompanies us in everyday life. We often create them daily, and as soon as the tasks noted are completed, new ones emerge. In this way, a seemingly endless cycle unfolds: noting, completing, checking off, and recording anew—a continual interplay of remembering and forgetting. Hänsli presents these lists at the moment when they have lost their practical utility. Through painting, the artist transforms them into poetic, sensual objects, effectuating a shift from reading to viewing. The human figure is absent in these works—as is often the case in Hänsli’s oeuvre—but reappears through traces of everyday activity, such as handwritten tasks.
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Another work on view is Kein Speck (No Bacon, 2025, 14 × 18 cm), a sky-blue Post-it painted on canvas, bearing the inscription “Im Moment KEIN Speck! (Currently NO Bacon!)”. The Post-it signals what is temporarily unavailable or sold out. The work Alles Entsorgen (Dispose Everything, 2025, 14 × 18 cm) similarly depicts a painted Post-it. The artist found it on the street: the items to be disposed of were already gone, leaving only the Post-it behind. The artist’s long-standing interest in typography and language has accompanied his practice for many years, as is also evident in Heisses Fleischkäseweckle (2025, 19 × 26 cm), executed in a light gray and white color palette. It depicts a white paper plate featuring a handwritten, cursive advertisement for a “hot meatloaf roll” priced at 2.90 euros. In this work, Hänsli refers to an object without actually showing it.
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Abdeckung Sicherungen (Fuse Cover, 2025, 47 x 37 cm), Geschlossene Lucke (Closed Hatch, 2025, 31 x 40 cm) and Spind (Locker, 2024, triptych, each 85.5 x 55.5 cm) engage with a familiar motif in Hänsli’s work: closed coverings that prevent viewers from seeing what lies behind them, compelling them to experience the surface brushstroke by brushstroke while never knowing what is concealed behind the closed door. At first glance, the three-part work Spind presents three identical dark green locker doors. Over time, however, they have developed patinas reminiscent of wet reeds or forests at dusk. Earlier labels, which might have provided clues as to the lockers’ contents, are deliberately absent; only their holders remain. This ensures that what lies behind the doors remains uncertain.
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Inquiries
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Photo credits:
Christoph Hänsli: Erledigt (Done): Galerie Peter KilchmannRämistrasse 33, Zurich
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