Toon Berghahn – Where the Light Happens
Opening reception
Saturday, May 2, 2 - 4 PM, with the artist present
Exhibition period
May 2 – May 30
Link to works in the exhibition
In the exhibition Where the Light Happens, new works by internationally acclaimed visual artist Toon Berghahn (NL) are presented. Berghahn lives and works in Amsterdam, and his work is represented in numerous private and public collections.
Where the Light Happens features new works revolving around architecture, nature, and space - always with light as a key element in creating a distinctive, almost magical atmosphere.
Waterfront, 80 x 110 cm, mixed media på MDF
Berghahn on the exhibition
“For me, any form of light is special, because every kind of light has the ability to make the miraculous visible. This applies just as much to a sunset as to candlelight, a lit bulb, or the glow of a fluorescent tube. These different light sources often appear in my work, and I continuously explore their presence and interaction. In my paintings, light can take on a mysterious quality; at times it may seem ominous, while at other moments it evokes a sense of safety.”
This interplay of meanings and moods is central to Berghahn’s new exhibition. The paintings depict modern villas, landscapes, islands, and swimming pools that initially signal calm and control. Yet the absence of people is striking, and the works appear as abandoned scenes where something may have happened—or is about to happen. Here, the viewer becomes an active participant, bringing their own narratives and interpretations into the images.
The paintings explore contrasts: controlled architectural lines stand against nature rendered in organic, thick, and tactile layers. At the same time, Berghahn works with shifts between illusion and reality, for example by incorporating small three-dimensional elements in the form of wooden strips, which add a tangible physical depth to the works.
With Where the Light Happens, Berghahn gestures both inward, into the space of painting, and outward, toward our own reality. The exhibition invites us to reflect on the light, the motifs, and the meanings we ourselves bring into the paintings.
Untitled, 104 x 160 cm, mixed media på MDF
Moonlight serenade, 122 x 110 cm, mixed media på MDF