In the pieces on level 1 and on the stairway, linear elements take on the function of defining the image space, opening or closing it. The wall installation by Anna Ingerfurth is based upon a linear design that is filled with coloured, diamond-shaped panels and creates the impression of a surface standing diagonally in the space. Silhouettes of human figures give the abstract structure the character of a surreal area of action. The concept, which is executed specifically for the site, is based upon small-scale works that can be seen on the second storey of the stairway.

Lines, bands and areas characterise the paintings of Enrico Bach as artistic elements. The painting Ohne Titel (Untitled) executed in green and grey tones leads the eye into the depth of the picture with contradictory perspectives. By contrast, in the works from the Randgruppe (Fringe Group) series, black or silver coloured areas with linear structure finish the image foreground. Only in the coloured design of the edges or in very narrow gaps, which act like observation slits, do the pieces open the view to deeper layers.

The works of Markus Oehlen lead to a literally fundamental aspect of the exhibition. Even in his pieces from the 1980s, lines of almost material quality are integrated into the pictorial structures and surfaces. The graphical element is used by the artist here to expand the painting. In the newer pieces of the exhibition from the last decade, sculptural figurative motifs and linear structures are condensed into a weave of artistic layers that is visually almost impossible to resolve.

The option of looking at the shimmering and flickering in the pictures by Markus Oehlen either from a distance or close up is highlighted in the installation by Christl Mudrak. After entering the space she has designed, its effect is experienced with complete lack of distance. Black, spiral lines drawn over white surfaces and objects highlight the spatial orientation and have a direct impact on the physical and psychological experience.

The linocuts of Georges Wenger contain scenic references. With fine boughs covered in snow, they provide glimpses of wintery woodlands. However, at the same time, the mesh of black and white linework and areas distinguishes the images from the scenic.

The works by Katharina Hinsberg are characterised by fine lines, which the artist exposes or removes by paper cutting. She generally begins her work with a linear drawing and processes this subsequently with a scalpel. Meticulously, she guides the blade along the contours of the lines and extracts from the paper the lines themselves or the spaces between. By transferring into spatial constellations the artistic elements that are bound to the surface, she highlights the most elementary aspect of the drawing.

On levels 2 and 3, pieces by Jorinde Voigt are also presented, which are created in work processes that are both reproduced and pioneering. She translates her perception, experience and thinking into artistic structures of pictorial elements, reflective materials, lettering and graphical symbols that are reminiscent of dance notation or musical scores.