paper postions 2025 with Axel Teichmann, Marco Kaufmann & Philip Crawford

paper positions berlin 2025 – booth 22

At paper positions berlin 2025 we are presenting works by two German and one US-American artist.

We are showing figurative and abstract works by Philip Crawford (*1988, Texas, USA) from various series by the artist. In his works, he combines various popular artefacts such as comic books, religious tracts, electrical items, film memorabilia, etc., from which he creates works on paper, videos, sculptures, installations and performances. In his comic-related works, the artist uses comics as a primary means of investigating historical truth, collective memory and the processes of identity formation. Made primarily with watercolour and woodcut, this series of mixed media works attempts to emulate the mass-produced aesthetic of early halftone printing. Thematically, the images and phrases used explore the intersections between praise, protest and heroism. In particular, the repeated phrase ‘Hold On!’ refers to a lyrical refrain taken from an African-American gospel song (Keep Your Hand on the Plow); over the decades, this refrain has been repeatedly taken up and used in protest songs for civil rights, among other things.

Philip Crawford holds a B.A. in History from Stanford University and an MFA in Sculpture from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Germany and the Czech Republic, and he lives and works in Berlin. Further information on the artist you find here.

We also present new works from Marco Kaufmann’s (*1975 in Vorpommern) ‘Tape’ series, in which remnants from earlier acrylic-on-canvas works – strips of paint and tapes – are folded, torn and layered to create unexpected textures and colour compositions and integrated as independent elements in his works on paper. In this way, the artistic process itself becomes a journey in which each work is a stopover that points to the next. The result is a cycle in which remnants are not regarded as waste, but as raw material for new forms of expression, which in turn form the basis for new paintings with acrylic on canvas.

Marco Kaufmann graduated in fine art (painting and photography) at the Berlin-Weißensee School of Art after completing his vocational training as a graphic designer. Inspired by the city, the country, his travels and photographs, he realises his feelings and thoughts in various techniques as a subjective version of reality – he paints, casts, sprays and glues. His works have been exhibited nationally and internationally and can be found in private and public collections. He lives and works in Berlin. Further information on the artist you find here.

Finally, we present works by Axel Teichmann (*1974 in Stuttgart).  In ‘Durchsicht’ – part of a seven-part series – a kind of blindfolded fortune teller produces coloured squares, which for the artist always point to the theme of digitalisation. People have to assert and prove themselves in the analogue and the digital. The digital is increasingly becoming part of human identity. In the work ‘Me and I synchronised’, a scene from synchronised high diving is shown. The image is not so much meant as a sports illustration, but rather the artist reflects on the extent to which the digital representation of an individual merges with the analogue self. AI is further accelerating the process of digitalisation. As a result, the individual is even more challenged and must constantly adapt to accelerated changes and experiences of loss. The work ‘Energieraum’ shows a very strong figure – as is very often the case with Axel Teichmann. As part of a modern society, people are able to develop outstanding knowledge and skills. However, these have to be constantly adapted and scrutinised in changing artificial environments. The modern individual runs the risk of very quickly losing the singularity they have developed if their skills lose their influence in a competitive society.

Axel Teichmann studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. In his paintings and sculptures, he places people at the centre of his work. In doing so, he poses questions about change and renewal of the human self-image and its identification through an increasingly changing environment. In addition to numerous trade fair participations, Axel Teichmann has exhibited internationally and is represented in many institutional and private collections. He lives and works in Stuttgart. Further information on the artist you find here.

Further information about paper positions berlin can be found here, tickets here.