ArtJunk
No. 06—2025

Magpie on a Morning Gallows

Sies + Höke

Justin de Verteuil

Info: Magpie on a Morning Gallows marks Düsseldorf-based artist Justin de Verteuil’s first solo exhibition at Sies + Höke, presenting his richly layered figurative oil paintings. De Verteuil’s works invite viewers into intricate scenes that merge the familiar with subtle ambiguities, each painting unfolding as a stage on which figures seem to perform distinct roles, poised between intimacy and isolation. Revealing layers of meaning, his compositions trigger multiple interpretations and shift between narrative depth and visual complexity. The exhibition’s title, a playful nod to Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 1568 painting The Magpie on the Gallows, encapsulates the complex symbolism surrounding the magpie—a bird that carries contrasting associations, from misfortune to luck. In Good Morning Mr. Magpie, two figures link arms through a window, appearing both intimate and removed. (…) 7:30 pm: Invited by Dorota Jurczak, Düsseldorf based artist Taka Kagitomi will perform the musical piece RINGOFVIBRATION during the opening / The show will be opening parallel to the exhibitions Dorota Jurczak. Blumka and Till Megerle. Sprechstunde at Caprii.

Sies + Höke Justin de Verteuil ArtJunk