Cornelius Völker (born 1965 in Kronach) has lived and worked in Düsseldorf since 1989, where he studied with A.R. Penck and Dieter Krieg at the Kunstakademie. The virtuoso painting of his often large-format paintings contrasts sharply with the prosaic character of what is depicted, which ranges from people just pulling their clothes over their heads, to piles of paper and books, half-empty coffee cups along with the rims left behind, chocolate bars and tea bags, to dumped garbage. Through this discrepancy, Völker creates an exciting apotheosis of the profane that the viewer cannot escape.With a major retrospective at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, a museum in the city where he lives is dedicating a monographic exhibition to the artist for the first time. On display are over 100 paintings from all creative periods. Our book with contributions by the curators Maite van Dijk and Kay Heymer accompanies the spectacular exhibition, which then travels to the Netherlands, to the Museum MORE in Gorssel.