Press Release dated 12th April 2025
Surprising Turn for DSDS Superstar Mark Medlock: The Frankfurt-born artist, who has lived on the North Sea island of Sylt since 2011, is presenting himself as a painter for the first time. After largely withdrawing from the public eye, the winner of the fourth season of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (Germany Seeks the Superstar) has been regularly sharing images of his artwork on social media for around a month. Now, the next step follows: Mark Medlock is presenting selected paintings for the first time in an exhibition in his adopted home. From 14th April 2025, Michael Hoppe and Michael Gleissner will show his works at the Northern Lights Concept Store in Westerland.
The private view will take place on 19th April from 10 am to 4 pm for collectors, press, and interested guests. From 4 pm, Mark Medlock will personally visit the showroom, together with his manager Conny Reckert. Whether the artist will also showcase his musical side as part of the opening event remains to be seen – a spontaneous live show is not out of the question. Art and music fans alike can look forward to the curated collection of Medlock’s works, which reveals a new, creative talent of the well-known singer.
Mark Medlock achieved great popularity in 2007 with his victory on DSDS and repeatedly topped the German charts. The media frenzy surrounding him was enormous. After several years in the spotlight, he largely retreated into private life. However, there were occasional concerts.
Now, the 46-year-old is surprising fans with his artistic reorientation. His recent social media posts hint at a new chapter in his life, and the positive reception his art has received from his over 100,000 followers suggests a promising start for his first exhibition.
Musically, Mark thrilled audiences with danceable pop tracks and modern synth ballads. As a painter, his works reveal an equally vibrant and expressive visual language that moves within the tension between naïve figuration and dynamic colouration. He employs a directness of colour, in which luminous blue, intense red, sunny yellow, or strong green stand in direct contrast, creating a cheerful, surreal atmosphere. Depictions of characters and scenes are characterised by playful abstraction.
Overall, Mark’s style can be described as an unconventional synthesis of cartoon-like quotations, expressive colouration, and a light-hearted interpretation of often maritime themes. His paintings demonstrate an immediate joy in the painting process and an individual artistic signature that deliberately distances itself from conventional modes of representation.
“All the pictures are unique, one-offs that will never exist in this form again. I’m looking forward to seeing you – and hope you’re as excited about the pictures as I am!”
Mark recently announced on his Facebook account.
His exhibition at the Northern Lights Concept Store on Sylt promises to be an exciting event, showcasing an entirely new side to the well-known artist. In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of iconic figures such as Paul McCartney, Ron Wood, and Udo Lindenberg, who successfully turned to painting after their music careers.
Location & dates
Northern Lights Concept Store, Norderstraße 29, 25980 Westerland, Sylt
Exhibition: From 14th April 2025, Monday – Friday 10 am – 1 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm | Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Opening Reception with Mark Medlock: 19th April 2025, 4 pm – 6 pm
Further information
Facebook @markmedlocksylt