The autumn exhibition in 2024 presented selected works by the founder and artist Manfred Bartling. Several paintings and works on paper were exhibited. The focus of this cabinet exhibition was on portraying various family scenes.

In several of Bartling's works, the theme of family comes to the fore, sometimes directly, sometimes in subtle hints. The scenes depicted testify to closeness, intimacy, care and everyday life, but at the same time also to inner distance, role distribution and quiet restraint. These are often family portraits in which Manfred Bartling himself recedes into the background.

Part of the presentation was an impressive self-portrait of the artist and his family from 1963, executed in an expressive, colour-intensive style. The composition shows three figures: a man in the background, a woman in the foreground, who is positioned centrally, and a child who is gently holding the woman in his arms. In addition to Manfred Bartling, the other two people depicted can be identified as Elisabeth Bartling and the couple's son, Stefan Bartling.

The painting's intense colour scheme is striking: various shades of blue dominate the background, evoking associations with dreams, distance and coolness. This contrasts with the bright orange and yellow tones in the foreground, which radiate warmth and presence. The choice of colours impressively highlights the differences in the relationships between the three people depicted: while the mother gently holds the child in her arms and both are facing each other, the male figure remains in the background, a silent observer whose withdrawn position and shadowy contours give him a role that is both protective and distant.

Bartling's expressive style is particularly evident in his dynamic brushwork. The painterly execution is powerful and lively. The flowing, almost weightless background reinforces the impression of a dreamlike space that stands out from reality.