The oeuvre of Karin Kneffel, one of Europe’s most remarkable painters, is characterized in equal measure by continuity and intensity. Her pictorial language has consistently expanded since her beginnings as a master student of Gerhard Richter: extreme details, abrupt links between views from up close and from a distance, and irritating reflections are among the ingredients of her paintings that are dedicated to an ongoing questioning of reality. At first glance, her works appear realistic due to their attention to detail and illusionism. But certainty recedes upon closer examination—viewers almost literally get the rug pulled out from under them.Featuring texts by Martin Hentschel and Thomas Wagner, the present monograph focuses primarily on a cycle of paintings developed especially for Haus Esters in Krefeld that makes direct reference to the history of the brick villa built by Mies van der Rohe and addresses its existing spatial situations. Here as well, Karin Kneffel blends the present and the past, reality and fiction together in a highly virtuoso and irritating fashion. Exhibition schedule: Kunstmuseum Krefeld Museum Haus Esters, October 18, 2009–January 17, 2010