Josef Hofer's 'Le motif dans le miroir' Opens at Galerie Christian Berst Art Brut

Galerie Christian Berst Art Brut in Paris presents 'Josef Hofer – Le motif dans le miroir,' the fifth solo exhibition devoted to the Austrian artist, running from September 5 to October 10, 2026. The show features around thirty previously unseen works that explore the mirror as a central motif, reflecting themes of bodily doubling and observation. Born in 1945, Hofer has lived in an Austrian institution for over thirty years; he does not speak but draws incessantly, using the medium as a vital space of expression centered on the body. His figures often appear confined within the sheet yet seem to push against its edges, a tension between enclosure and movement that runs through his practice. The mirror theme serves as a common thread, linking self-representation, desire, identity, vulnerability, and freedom. The new drawings demonstrate the coherence of a practice built over decades and engage with contemporary concerns such as the body, intimacy, and the norms shaping identity. Although Hofer is regarded as a major figure of contemporary art brut, his work resists that single label, as evidenced by his presence in numerous public and private collections, including the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual monograph and a critical essay by Fabrizio Donini Ferretti. An online catalogue launch, listing nearly 2,200 works, further documents his output. The gallery invites viewers to look beyond definitions and engage with what Hofer's drawings reveal.