two dots one line

Austrian artist Ernst Caramelle (*1952), who lives and works between the United States and Europe, is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in contemporary conceptual art. Since the mid-1970s, he has consistently challenged viewers with the following questions: What is reality? How can we trust what we see? What, fundamentally, is art?

Caramelle’s oeuvre is marked by an elegant interplay between intellectual precision and playful spontaneity. Seamlessly traversing diverse media—including painting, architecture, publications, photography, and spatial installations—his works are characterized by perceptual subtleties and a distinctive lightness of touch. With a sensibility rooted in conceptualism and a formal language all his own, Caramelle engages space and time with wit, restraint, and humor.

Featuring selections from his five-decade-spanning practice, this publication presents a comprehensive view of Caramelle’s oeuvre. Anchored by a text by Stephanie Buhmann, developed over a year and a half of conversations with the artist, this volume delves into Caramelle’s central themes: perception, illusion, and the experience of space. The book expands upon the exhibition Ernst Caramelle: two dots one line, curated by Buhmann for the Austrian Cultural Forum New York (May–September 2025), and is illustrated with 40 full-color images.

With text contributions by the editors Dr. Susanne Keppler-Schlesinger and Dr. Stephanie Buhmann.