Conceptual Decoration articulates Brüggemann’s interest in contradiction and paradox, themes which he returns to frequently in his work.

The installation of variable dimensions envelops each gallery space or site in specially designed silver wallpaper spelling out the words ‘conceptual decoration’ in black print. Conceptual art, with its insistence on the idea, rather than on presentation or form, would appear to be irreconcilable with the practice of decoration. Indeed, concepts largely eschew the aesthetic dimension of craft or embellishment, seen as retrograde or decadent. And yet, the work is sited precisely at the threshold of these distinct attitudes. The installation is at once a well-decorated room, and a work of art, while its title or proposition resonates throughout the space.

The text - infinitely repeated across the wallpaper - whose print size is comparatively small and can be read with the naked eye only when moving into close-range. From a distance the amalgam of text set against a reflective silver background gives the impression of an oscillating moiré effect, usually experienced when two patterns are overlaid. The artist comments: ‘I like the rhythm that this combination creates. It flickers. It looks straightforward but it contains an aggressiveness.’ Here, language ceases to function as a means of signification and instead reverts to an attractive surface that plays tricks on the eye, a mutable skein responsive to the viewer’s movement.