In this episode of WAS MIT KUNST, Johann König speaks with British artist Julian Opie, whose monumental solo exhibition is currently on view at KÖNIG GALERIE, taking over all spaces at St. Agnes, including the courtyard and sculpture garden, with several works designed especially for the unique architecture of the building, forging a powerful dialogue between art and space.

Known for his distinctive graphic language and bold reduction of form, Opie shares how his practice has evolved over three decades—drawing from everyday life, historical art forms, and the visual codes of the modern city. In this candid conversation, he reflects on his early influences, the impact of his upbringing in Oxford, and his decision to follow a non-scientific path before studying art at Goldsmiths in London.

At the heart of Opie’s work is a deep engagement with the act of looking—both outward, at the world, and inward, through memory and repetition. As he puts it, “To draw is not just a matter of putting your hand out into the world… it’s also drawing information into your brain and understanding the world.” His exhibition at KÖNIG GALERIE transforms the vast space of St. Agnes into a stylized urban landscape—populated by animated LED schoolchildren, towering steel sculptures, and portraits rendered like diagrams or logos.

Together, he and Johann König discuss how drawing acts as a universal language, why collecting is an essential part of being an artist, and how the process of refining and repeating one's ideas over time becomes a form of discovery. They also delve into the symbolism of towers, the emotional weight of materials, and how motion and architecture intersect in his current work.

The exhibition—his first with KÖNIG GALERIE—draws inspiration from ancient Egyptian reliefs, contemporary street life, corporate iconography, and presents a walkable environment where past and present, high and low, static and moving forms coexist. “I’m trying to find a language,” he says, “that rings true.”

Learn more about the artist HERE