Confident brushstrokes and biting humor. Berlin-based artist duo Albrecht/Wilke explore the symbolic and aesthetic dimentions of Western everyday objects in Salty Desires.

Set against abstract, these mundane objects — sausages, mustard packets, blue cheese, roast chicken, and garden gnomes — are transformed into icons. They float like sacred things or classical still lifes, referring to a  broad art historical spectrum — from Pop Art and Surrealism to Baroque still life and German Romanticism. This clash of genres creates a space of reflection, a fascination with the codes and aesthetics of a Western, often petit-bourgeois everyday life. By enlarging and giving a new context to these motifs, Albrecht/Wilke reveal the subtle but powerful norms that drive our desires — desires that are “salty” not just in flavor, but also in their social and emotional tension.

With critique and affection, Salty Desires questions the fine line between kitsch and cultural identity, consumption and longing. Albrecht/Wilke invite us to laugh, reflect, and perhaps recognize a piece of ourselves in their world.