This catalogue accompanied the exhibition “Keep Out” by Peter Klasen at Neue Galerie – Sammlung Ludwig – in Aachen. The publication presents the artist’s characteristic exploration of industrial surfaces, mechanical fragments and urban signs that define his contribution to Nouveau Réalisme.

Klasen’s work often adopts the visual language of warning systems, machine parts and technological environments. Clean lines, metal textures and industrial colour codes create an atmosphere of controlled tension. The paintings evoke spaces of transport, storage and restriction, where the language of signage replaces narrative.

In this context the title “Keep Out” becomes both instruction and image. Klasen transforms the aesthetics of prohibition into a pictorial device. What appears as cold industrial design reveals a charged visual field where distance, control and desire intersect.

A longstanding engagement with the material vocabulary of modern industry and its psychological effects.

See Also
The broader context of Nouveau Réalisme; objects, industrial imagery and urban materials becoming part of artistic practice.