Veit Mette
Certainties
Exhibition programme
Vernissage
- 01.03.2026, 11.30 am
- Veit Mette is present
Welcome and introduction
- Isolde Müller-Borchert,
- 1st Chair of the Kunstverein
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Beaugrand,
- Artistic Director
Art Talk at the Kunstverein
- Talking with Prof. Dr Andreas Beaugrand
Finissage
- 26.04.2026, 3 pm
With this exhibition, the Kunstverein presents new works by Bielefeld photographer Veit Mette (born 1961). His documentary images are snapshots that form a photographic biography of a city: Bielefeld. They reveal and artistically capture what would otherwise be lost in the flow of time. They show the people of this city who they were and who they have become. Whether in his large-format images in the central hall of the Bielefeld University, his photographs of people from Bethel who have been travelling through Bielefeld on a light rail train for a quarter of a century, or in Mette’s numerous other art projects, their presence in the city is always based on the desire to bring art into people’s everyday lives.
With the social upheavals – be they problems of advancing urbanisation, the ecological crisis or radical political upheavals – we have all lost our old certainties. Like a seismograph, Veit Mette’s art has changed and taken on the form of a search that oscillates between the no longer and the not yet unknown. With the help of multiple exposures, he sets image worlds in motion that artistically express the blurred and uncertain nature of this search. The boundary between photography, graphic representation and painting is deliberately crossed, representing an attempt to make the search for new certainties a general, shared endeavour.
Greetings from Dennis Thon, Second Deputy Mayor of the City of Oerlinghausen, on the occasion of the opening of Veit Mette’s exhibition Certainties on on 1 March 2026
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Dear members of the Kunstverein Oerlinghausen, Dear Mr Mette,
Dear friends of the arts,
My name is Dennis Thon and I am delighted to welcome you here today – on behalf of the Council and the town of Oerlinghausen, and personally in my capacity as Second Deputy Mayor. Please accept our warmest greetings and best wishes for this exhibition.
As the saying goes, ‘May brings new beginnings’. The Oerlinghausen Art Society is clearly ahead of this proverb and of spring – which is already showing its first signs. So, at the start of this month, we say: ‘March brings new beginnings.’ This is already the second exhibition opening in this still-fresh anniversary year, and I am delighted to be able to address a few words to you once again today – and to extend a very warm welcome to you, Mr Mette, here with us in Oerlinghausen.
The title of this exhibition is Certainties. A big word. A powerful word. Perhaps even a challenging word – especially at a time when so much of what we long took for granted has begun to falter. Certainties provide stability. They structure our thinking, our actions, our coexistence. Yet we all sense that many of these certainties have become fragile. Social upheavals, environmental challenges, political tensions – they are changing our view of the world. What seemed firmly established yesterday appears fragile today. And this is precisely where Veit Mette’s art comes in.
For several decades now, Veit Mette has been shaping the visual memory of a city – his city, Bielefeld – through his photographic work. His documentary images are more than mere snapshots.
The text accompanying the exhibition programme states, with regard to his projects: “… their work is always underpinned by a desire to bring art into people’s everyday lives.” The fact that the boundaries here are fluid becomes clear in that, conversely, they also bring people into the everyday life of the community.
Whether through large-scale works in public spaces, impressive projects such as the Bethelbahn, or photographs that capture people in their everyday lives – the aim is always to ensure that art is not confined to an ivory tower, but is brought right into the heart of life. Art as part of the public space. Art as an invitation to conversation. Art as a mirror. Yet this exhibition does not merely bear a title – it poses a question. For when old certainties fade, what takes their place?
In his more recent works, Veit Mette moves away from the clear documentary approach, in which a moment is captured through the instant, the trigger – that fraction of a second.
Multiple exposures give rise to visual worlds that overlap, shift and interpenetrate. What was once clear becomes blurred; contours dissolve. The boundary between photography, graphic representation and painting begins to blur. In this way, several fleeting moments are captured to form a new kind of moment, and a sense of certainty is created.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In its 50th anniversary year, the Oerlinghausen Art Association once again demonstrates a keen eye for contemporary artistic trends. Having explored innovations in painting at the start of the year, the focus now turns to photographic transformation and social commentary. This shows that the association is not only steeped in tradition, but also vibrant, inquisitive and open to new perspectives.
The town of Oerlinghausen greatly appreciates this commitment. The art association is an indispensable part of our cultural life. It creates spaces for people to meet, to exchange ideas – and sometimes to challenge one another. And that is exactly what we need.
Perhaps it is simply this: certainties do not arise because everything is clear-cut. Perhaps they arise precisely through shared conversation, shared observation and shared reflection. I hope the exhibition Certainties attracts many interested visitors, sparks lively discussions and offers moments of inspiration. May Veit Mette’s works open up new perspectives for us.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr Mette for being here today and sharing his work with us. My thanks also go to the Art Society for all their hard work behind the scenes – and to all of you who, by coming here today, demonstrate just how vibrant the art scene is in our city.
And – in keeping with the exhibition’s theme – I am absolutely certain that this place will continue to be a place of remembrance, of warning and, above all, of inspiration and exchange.
Not because it goes without saying, but because people like you, dear Kunstverein Oerlinghausen, keep breathing life into it time and again.
Thank you very much.
