Zustimmenden Engeln, November 1998–Februar 2000

The artist’s books by Galli are often comprised of mixed media, augmented with colorful collage and supplemented by physical interventions in the form of cut edges. The smallest book exhibited, Zustimmenden Engeln (1998–2000), is a hardcover and barely 11 cm tall. Here, the color application is dense and the compositions heavily abstracted. The narrative character typical of the artist is completely abandoned; instead, object, still-life, or hybrid figure studies come to the fore, based on a symmetry that is ultimately centered only by the binding of the book. A form on the right side is duplicated when the page turns and moves forward with the content on the left, not unlike the Surrealist game Exquisite Corpse, in which a group of people continues a figure drawing only accessing the work of the last contributor. Within the pages one can find human features—a set of eyeballs, breasts. The book ends with collaged superhero comics, complimented by drawings in bold colors. Comparatively, the book Metamorphosen (1995, 1997–2002) switches back and forth between high density ballpoint pen drawings and colorful renditions of fantastical creatures. Words in the form of comments annotate the book—in cursive, like the word “Maler” (painter), which appears above a field of scribbled lines, followed by the capitalized and therefore ironic use of “RUHE” (quiet).

Metamorphosen, 1995/97–2002
Book, cardboard, paper, mixed media, cut and collaged, 52 pages
Courtesy the artist