Peter Wächtler, Crackers, Simian, Copenhagen, courtesy by Simian

Suspended in Transition: Peter Wächtler’s Exploration of Failure and Impermanence

Upon crossing the threshold of Peter Wächtler’s exhibition, “Crackers,” the first thing that captures our attention is the sensation of being in an environment suspended between construction and ruin. The vast, linear spaces of Simian, with their raw concrete floors and untreated wooden panels delineating certain areas of the exhibition, create an atmosphere of almost brutal essentiality. This setting does not seek to embellish but rather to accentuate and contain the displayed works, bestowing upon them an aura of provisionality and transience. The pieces seem to emerge from nothingness, like archaeological remnants ready to be studied or fragments of a thought halted midway.

The sculptures on display, perched on slender metal pedestals, are crafted from a raw material that appears to evoke the passage of hurried and determined hands, as if the process itself is more significant than the outcome. The matte white of the sculptural forms contrasts with the roughness of the surrounding space, creating a balance between fragility and monumentality. The irregular surfaces of the works evoke organic shapes and decaying architectural structures, as if they were torn from an ancient building or shaped by the forces of nature. The sculptures depicted in the images, with their jagged contours and apparent lack of finish, almost seem to freeze a moment of transformation: the movement of the material, the tension between what stands and what collapses.

The spatial organization of “Crackers” invites visitors to move slowly among the works, as if each pedestal were a stop along a meditative journey. The spacing between the pieces is designed to accentuate the silence of the space, which reveals itself not as empty but laden with implicit suggestions. In the more distant areas, the atmosphere changes: the lighting dims, and the environment takes on an almost sacred intimacy, thanks to the small candles placed along the walls. This detail suggests a connection to themes of memory and rituality, a symbolic lighting that seems to speak of what remains despite everything.

Wächtler’s choice to work with such a recalcitrant material as raw clay, as described in the exhibition’s accompanying text, reflects a deliberate intention: to abandon any aspiration for technical perfection. The clay, with its coarse and unpredictable texture, becomes a medium to explore failure, instability, and time. Many of the initial pieces, the artist recounts, collapsed during the shaping or firing process, and this intrinsic fragility is clearly perceived in the displayed works. What survives is not so much a finished object but a testament to the process, a fragment of a constant dialogue between the artist’s hands and the material’s resistance.

The absence of glazes and decorative details renders these sculptures almost ascetic, devoid of any attempt at aesthetic seduction. Yet, it is precisely in this sobriety that their strength lies: Wächtler manages to transform failure into a poetic expression, making precariousness tangible. The works appear to bear the marks of time even before being exhibited, as if they have already lived a history and survived a series of trials.

Compared to his previous works, often characterized by ironic narratives and digital animations, “Crackers” represents a significant shift toward art that prioritizes tactility and physicality. The sculptures seem to distill years of reflections on instability, loss, and the ephemeral, transforming personal themes into universal forms. However, even in this material turn, a common thread with his past works is discernible: the constant search for meaning in fragments, in details, in absence.

Exiting Simian, the lingering sensation is that of having participated in a silent ritual, an invitation to engage with the ambiguity of the creative process and the weight of unspoken elements. Wächtler offers no answers, nor does he attempt to conclude the discourse. He allows the materials, the jagged surfaces, and the empty space between the works to narrate a story of change and resistance, a reminder to find beauty in imperfection and to see possibility in collapse.