The depiction of things - and their secrets, too - has a long visual historical tradition, such as the opulent floral still lifes of Dutch painters, but also the artistic avant-garde of the 20th century or the Neue Sachlichkeit. The »painted pieces« by fifty artists present materiality as the greatest common denominator. The images show tangible things, found objects, and everyday utensils, but also surreal forms and abstract objects, painted »tangibly«. From the classic still life to a random conglomeration of objects, from the cuboid to the smudge: the objects depicted are transformed into painting, and open up a range of pictures celebrating painting in small to very small format: none of the paintings on display are bigger than 50 x 40 cm. The question concerning the »secret of things« not only directs the gaze to what is necessarily hidden, but also to what is evident: what do we see in things, what allusions, clarifications, and new insights arise in relation to reality? However, some things remain a secret, unexplained and enigmatic. The invitation of this exhibition and this catalog is to trace this, to find the magic in things, as well as the open-mindedness to tolerate the enigmatic. The exhibition was curated by Hartmut Neumann for Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art and for the Kunsthalle Recklinghausen. Artists: Thomas Arnolds, Martin Assig, Susanne Kühn, Michael Bauer, Tim Berresheim, Norbert Bisky, Peter Bömmels, Nicola de Maria, Peter Dreher, Lutz Driessen, Robert Elfgen, Wolfgang Ellenrieder, Max Ernst, Jean Fautrier, Bruno Goller, Wolf Hamm, Thomas Hartmann, Anton Henning, K.H. Hödicke, Gerhard Hoehme, Thomas Huber, Johannes Hüppi, Leiko Ikemura, Olav Christopher Jenssen, Marjorie Jongbloed, Konrad Klapheck, Robert Klümpen, Karin Kneffel, Dieter Krieg, Stefan Kürten, August Macke, Stephan Melzl, Hartmut Neumann, Heribert C. Ottersbach, Simon Pasieka, Ulrich Pester, Stefanie Popp, Roland Schappert, Katharina Schilling, Julia Schmid, Andreas Schul