Open studio - Vier unter einem Dach 20
September 29 - October 20, 2018
Atelier Friedrichstrasse, Siegen, Germany

“Kellner’s contact sheets give bodily form to our scattered, animated and animating act of viewing.  In doing so, they reclaim the individual’s central position to the formation of image and building alike.” Pappas, Allison, Houston, we've had a problem! Kellner, Thomas, 2013, Seltmann+Söhne Berlin/Siegen, page 33

On September 30, Siegen artist Thomas Kellner opens his studio’s doors at 11 a.m. for an art-interested audience from the area as part of an "open studio". In the foreground of the exhibition is the 20th anniversary celebrations and his latest project "Grand Canyon", which will be presented there for the first time to the public. 
Friedrichstraße 42 has been home to the studio of artist Thomas Kellner for 20 years. Here arises art, from the first idea to the finished picture. The fine art photographer is known for his unique work with contact prints, with which he brings architectural highlights to dance worldwide. It is a process of destruction of the actual object and construction of a new structure and image, which receives its character through the composition of individual detail shots. From this unique position in art, to work with pinhole camera, photogram, linocut, collages and installations, to the staging of various exhibitions - everything happens here, in his own studio, the artist's laboratory.
The focus of the upcoming exhibition are two images of the "Grand Canyon", the larger version not only attracting attention due to its length of 4.5 meters. The artwork consists of a total of 60 rolls of film and 2160 shots, with which the artist reassembles the monumental landscape of America according to his unique method and sets in motion. This own visual imagery and the dimension of the "Grand Canyon" is revealed to the public at the "Open Studio" for the first time. After that, the work moves to the American Museum in the UK.
In addition to his own works, there are also works of art by his fellow artists. Sabiene Autsch, Dr. Jochen Dietrich, Xenia Frisan, Lutz Krämer, Melanie Müller, Bodo Schäfer and Martin Steiner, who were members of the artist’s residency building. The works of art from joint exhibitions and the in-house collection as well as loans will revive the time together and are reminiscent of the past decades of studio Friedrichstrasse. Kellner dedicates a wall to his direct colleague Jochen Dietrich in the formerly common studio for the work "Obsolete Houses". This photo series shows architecture that the artist photographed on his trip to Portugal in 2015/16 or taken from real estate advertisements and painstakingly revised. Nowadays Thomas Kellner has his workplace here in the studio and allows his audience as artist and curator at the "Open Studio" a look at art and the studio’s history.

Open Studio - 20 years studio  Friedrichstrasse
Exhibition of the works by: Dr. med. Sabiene Autsch, Dr. Jochen Dietrich, Xenia Frisan, Thomas Kellner, Lutz Krämer, Melanie Müller, Bodo Schaefer, Martin Steiner
Exhibition opening: 30 September 2018, 11 a.m.
Welcome by Siegen’s mayor Steffen Mues
Exhibition duration: 30 September  - 20 October2018
Friedrichstrasse 42, 57072 Siegen
Tel .: +49 271 2383343

Thank you to my colleagues, Jochen, Sabiene, Martin, Xenia, Lutz, Bodo, Melanie and Lutz for sharing time with me here at studio Friedrichstrasse. Thank you to Mayor Steffen Mues and KEG for the space, thank you to innogy for 20 years of support in mail and to Kunstverein for placement in Kunstsommer. Thank you to my wife Helga.