The work "A matter of space" is a remarkable example of Otto Piene's experimental fire pictures. Different from his earlier smoke pictures the fire pictures come into existence through the fire's elemental force. The paint on the image carrier is set on fire, blisters and eventually incrusts. The picture's structure is fixated after the fire has been extinguished. Accordingly, the work is a document of the interplay of nature's independent growth and Piene's controlled artistic intrusion. Within this subtle treatment of form and color Piene opens up new realms of association, some palpable, some seem blurred in the color fog, and creates ever new impressions.