Stepping into Sophie von Hellermann’s exhibition “Moonage” at Pilar Corrias in London is like slipping into a waking dream—a world where reality bends, softens, and dissolves into the subconscious. In this show, on view now through March 22, von Hellermann conjures an environment alive with spectral figures, glowing landscapes, and fragments of stories unfolding in the flickering light of imagination. Time feels elastic, as if the past, present, and future are blurring into one another, caught in the gravity of dream logic.
Borrowing its title from David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream, the exhibition echoes the spirit of reinvention and creative defiance embodied by Ziggy Stardust. Here, von Hellermann’s signature washes of pure pigment on unprimed canvas create weightless, ethereal compositions that seem to hover between presence and disappearance.
The “Maze” paintings—suspended screens of color and movement—invite viewers to step inside, to wander and lose themselves in the folds of the image, as though entering a story that is still being written. Floating lamps cast a spectral glow, like stars guiding the way through a landscape of dreams. At the heart of the show, a large-scale installation looms like a threshold between reverie and reawakening.
In this conversation with Whitewall, von Hellermann unravels the threads of “Moonage,” exploring the tension between dream and reality, the fluidity of storytelling, and the alchemy of painting as a portal to the unknown.
Installation view, Sophie von Hellermann: “Moonage,” Pilar Corrias, London, 31 January–22 March 2025. Photography by Ben Westoby. © Sophie von Hellermann. Courtesy the artist and Pilar Corrias, London.
WHITEWALL: “Moonage” transforms the gallery into a space where reality is remodeled by the subconscious, described as “the fever of a daydream.” How do you navigate the relationship between reality and the subconscious in your creative process?
SVH: That is a very good question. I definitely allow the lines to blur and let my inner images consume me in a way that necessitates the painting. As Borges wrote in Labyrinths, which I thought of often while painting these works: “Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire.”
Sophie von Hellermann’s “Moonage” as an Homage to David Bowie
Sophie von Hellermann, “Moonage,” 2023, acrylic on canvas, 290 x 200 cm, courtesy of the artist and Pilar Corrias.
Sophie von Hellermann, “Heddon Street,” 2025, acrylic on canvas, 110 x 90 cm, courtesy of the artist and Pilar Corrias.
WW: The exhibition title references David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream, introducing his character Ziggy Stardust. What significance does this reference hold for you, and how does it influence the themes explored in this body of work?
SVH: I have always liked the juxtaposition in this track title between night and day. It’s the license of poets, artists, and indeed dreamers, to put things together that do not necessarily go together or are opposites. It’s also very expressive and romantic. January is Bowie month; it is both his birth and death day.
WW: The installation includes “Maze” paintings on canvas screens, creating an immersive experience where viewers can step into—or even lose themselves within—the space. How did the concept of the “Maze” develop, and what experience do you intend for the audience navigating these works?
SVH: Being in a painting while painting it is like being in a labyrinth of colors and thoughts that you need to navigate. I was reading Borges, thinking of Greek mythology, and, importantly, started painting the “Maze” paintings after watching Saltburn! For the exhibition, I like how physical screens depict mazes that stand in the space. It’s neat that they actually block the way or the view while also speaking of it. Painting is always an interplay of space obscured and space opened.
“Painting is always an interplay of space obscured and space opened,” —Sophie von Hellermann
On the Brink of a New Chapter
Installation view, Sophie von Hellermann: “Moonage,” Pilar Corrias, London, 31 January–22 March 2025. Photography by Ben Westoby. © Sophie von Hellermann. Courtesy the artist and Pilar Corrias, London.
WW: Your technique of applying pure pigment onto unprimed canvas is a defining element of your practice, creating washes that evoke a sense of weightlessness. What role does this process play in shaping the sense of ephemerality and transformation in “Moonage”?
SVH: I like the thought that pigments act like stardust in this group of paintings. The pigments become characters, like Ziggy Stardust, the fairies in my “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” paintings, or particles in paintings about nuclear physics. They are like actors in a drama; they interact and dance together. I am merely bringing them together; they do the rest themselves.
WW: At the far end of the gallery, a large-scale canvas installation symbolizes the interval between reverie and reawakening—an opportunity to create a new reality. How do you see this idea of transformation playing out within “Moonage,” and do you view it as a recurring theme in your work?
SVH: I had this idea of a huge curtain, partially for a sense of drama and promise, but also because I truly believe that we are on the brink of change; a new chapter is about to unfold. I also really wanted to create something that used the vast expanse of my studio. I rolled out a 5.2 x 10 m piece of canvas and started painting on it. I think for that reason, as a work, Grief and Hope, 2025 conveys my studio practice very well—everything just sort of spills out.
