Christina Quarles Explores Embodiment and Recognition in Berlin Exhibition

Christina Quarles presents her solo exhibition 'Collapsed Time' at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin through September 17. Her paintings feature elastic humanoid figures with elongated limbs and spindly fingers, existing in ambiguous planes defined by floral wallpaper patterns, distant mountains, or monolithic walls. Quarles discusses how she replaced text with pattern in her work, viewing it as a two-dimensional reference that creates shared understanding without misleading captions. She uses Adobe Illustrator in her process for its infinite scaling capabilities, allowing her to work in a psychic space beyond her physical limitations. The artist describes her figures as foils to discuss humanity, focusing on moments of legibility that break down due to contradictory information rather than lack. Quarles addresses how identity categories like race and gender emerge from the universal problem of embodiment, emphasizing recognition over representation. She notes that theoretical ideals of breaking down categorization often prove unlivable in practice, particularly as someone multiracial in systems not designed for such identities. The exhibition explores how bodies interact with architectural spaces that were designed for specific movements, creating distortions when bodies don't fit those predetermined scales. Quarles will also present a solo show at Hauser & Wirth Menorca from June 17 through October 29.