German contemporary artist Susanne Herbold took part in the XV Florence Biennale 2025 at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. With her large-format abstract painting “The Seed of Love,” she was part of the international exhibition on the theme “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness.”
Exhibition – XV Florence Biennale
Under the guiding theme “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness,” around 550 artists from all over the world presented their works — each with a distinct and individual approach to the tension between light and darkness.
I presented my work The Seed of Love, which for me is a deeply personal exploration of transformation. It reflects the quiet process of becoming — the moment when light and darkness are no longer perceived as opposites, but as forces that together give rise to something new.
In the accompanying video interview, I speak about what drives me in my artistic practice and about the intention behind The Seed of Love: trust in the process, the willingness to embrace uncertainty, and the creative energy that emerges when control is released and space for development is allowed.
Equally meaningful was the respectful exchange with fellow artists from around the world. Conversations, spontaneous encounters, and many new connections turned these days into an intense and enriching experience. The energy of that week was shaped by openness, curiosity, and mutual appreciation — and again and again, the light over Florence: warm, clear, and full of movement.
Video Interview – Florence Biennale 2025
Landmark Fra Angelico Exhibition
Alongside the Biennale, I had the special opportunity in Florence to visit the major Fra Angelico exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco. The show brought together works from important international museums and collections — including loans from the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, and other institutions whose works are rarely seen together.
The exhibition traced a path from the early paintings to the mature frescoes, making immediately tangible the role that light, color, and spirituality already played in the early Renaissance. Encountering these originals deepened my perception of painting and complemented this week in Florence in a very particular way.
In 2022, I presented my work as part of Miami Art Week in the United States. This experience was equally formative for me — with a very different, immediate energy and a strong presence of contemporary art.
Since then, further international projects and exhibitions have followed, including participation in the book project Great Artists of Mallorca in Palma de Mallorca. In retrospect, a development emerges between very different art locations and contexts, continually challenging and positively expanding my own work.
Further insights into my artistic background and working process can be found in my biography.
