Simon Gilmer
Im 2. OG rechts hinter der Wand, 2025
Grey cardboard, wood, 300 x 120 x 180 cm each
Courtesy the artist
Simon Gilmer (b. 1997, Pirmasens, Germany) is currently studying at Offenbach University of Art and Design. His practice operates at the intersection of sculpture, photography, and scenographic space.
Cardboard is Gilmer’s central material. With it, he constructs spaces and objects that possess the character of models. The scale of his constructions corresponds to that of the original, resulting in 1:1 sculptures. He photographs these structures, preserving an image of their temporary existence.
In Gilmer’s work, the model asserts itself as an autonomous sculptural element. With a background in architecture, he brings his expertise in professional model making into dialogue with theoretical reflections on the perception of space.
At the Frankfurter Kunstverein, Gilmer inserts a partition wall into the exhibition space—quietly dividing it without drawing obvious attention. The white wall features two small viewing windows, inviting visitors to step closer and look through into two separate interior spaces. Inside, objects are arranged in a composed installation, rendered entirely in monochromatic grey. This monochrome heightens the emphasis on form and structure, stripping the objects of any overt reference to function. Light becomes a sculptural tool, creating the objects’ plasticity. The lighting design is tailored to the specific spatial conditions of the Kunstverein, becoming an integral part of the work.
Gilmer constructs an ambiguous space in which viewers are left uncertain: are they looking behind the scenes of the exhibition space, or into an entirely self-contained, artificial world?
Throughout architectural history, the model has been a vital tool for conveying ideas through tangible, three-dimensional representation. It serves to anticipate the development of buildings before construction begins.
For Renaissance architectural theorist Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), the concept of a project could only be adequately conveyed through a model—otherwise, it remained confined to the mind of the designer. The scaled drawing, and even more so the model with its physical presence, allowed clients and craftsmen alike to grasp the design in its full complexity. According to Alberti, the model was the most effective means for investigating and implementing an idea. A key characteristic of the architectural model was its lack of ornamentation: it was intended to assess the rigour of form and structural decisions.
Simon Gilmer detaches the model from its operative and functional context and elevates it to an artistic status. His constructions possess a mysterious aura, in which categorisation remains suspended and a suggestive distance from the viewer’s lived space is maintained.
Simon Gilmer (b. 1997, Pirmasens, DE) has been studying at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach (DE) under Prof. Heike Schuppelius since 2021. Previously, he completed his bachelor’s degree in architecture at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (DE). His work operates at the intersection of sculpture, photography, and spatial design. Through his sculptural practice, Gilmer explores the aesthetic and spatial impact of functional objects by abstracting their formal structures into model-like constructions and recontextualizing them.
Gilmer has presented his work in various institutions and off-spaces, including the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main (DE), AAArbeitsamt Offenbach (DE), Kunstverein Ludwigshafen (DE), Zollamt in Offenbach am Main (DE), G10 Projektraum in Darmstadt (DE), Kunstraum Potsdamerstraße in Berlin (DE), and Magma Maria in Offenbach (DE). In 2021, he founded the association raumfahrt e.V., dedicated to critical engagement with space. He has received several awards in both architecture and art and is currently a recipient of the Deutschlandstipendium.
