Afra Dopfer – form is Something to Remember
Afra Dopfer (*1962 in Starnberg) has been developing a body of work for many years that captivates through both formal reduction and layered complexity. Her distinctive visual language consistently responds sensitively to the spatial context in which it is presented. The artist deliberately engages with processes of perception, inviting viewers to shift their perspective, to move, and to approach or withdraw from her works.
In her consistent reduction and spirit of experimentation, Afra Dopfer works with elemental forms: spheres, circles, rectangles, squares, lines, and dots. Her choice of materials and colors also follows a purist approach. The radical focus on basic shapes, the clarity and precision of geometric structures and patterns, the absence of symbolism or narrative elements, and the dialogue between object and space evoke artistic positions associated with Minimalism of the 1960s.
Dopfer’s sculptural thinking is evident not only in her three-dimensional and object-like works but also in her two-dimensional, surface-oriented pieces. Patterns and repetitions—reminiscent of those seen in Renaissance ornamentation—appear to merge with the wall or dance across it like a delicate relief. Their material presence is subtle—like the trace of a touch.
Though her works may seem understated and restrained, they possess a quiet complexity. Even works composed of just two different elements—such as the paper pieces displayed on the central wall in the Apartment der Kunst—cannot be fully grasped at first glance. Variations in the number of paper layers, their overlaps, and the distances between them create a virtuosic interplay of rhythm and composition. It is precisely this oscillation between similarity and difference that exerts a pull, inviting viewers to pause and engage.
Afra Dopfer’s works do not convey a traditional message in the sense of narrative content. Rather, they resonate through aesthetic rigor, formal precision, and the subtle balance between variation and modification. While they may evoke associations with architecture, graphic design, or mathematics, their true poetry lies in their reduced form, in their quiet focus on the essential, and in the inner coherence of their composition.
In harmony with the exhibition title form is something to remember, the rigorous clarity of Afra Dopfer’s works lingers in the mind—as a quiet reminder of what is essential.
Text: Susanne Ehrenfried Bergmann
