genius loci - two German gentlemen in the land of the Tsars

"The same as his countryman and predecessor in the Urals, Georg Wilhelm Henning, Kellner reconstructs the customary world so that it stays in movement and continually delivers new perspectives today and in the future as well." (Irina Chmyrewa)

This project deals in an artistic-photographical manner with two important industrial areas in Germany and Russia, which are liked to each other through the common history of industrial culture. I’m talking of my hometown Siegen and two of the biggest cities of Russia, Yekaterinburg and Perm. 

There is something that scarcely anybody knows: Yekaterinburg and Perm were founded by the native of Siegen, Georg Wilhelm Henning. Georg Wilhelm de Gennin , as he is called in Russia, October 11th 1676 till April 12th 1750, was a German born officer and artificer, who was invited from Peter the Great to Russia because of having an outstanding knowledge in metallurgy. In the 1720ies he founded the first mining schools in Russia, travelled to Europe to promote specialists in mining and built new plants in the Urals, which developed in a minimum of time to one of the most important economic and educational centre: Yekaterinburg and Perm. 

In 2013 I followed the traces of Henning and photographed important enterprises in Germany and Russia to show their similarity, namely the processing of steel and metal. As result there emerged a series about the industrial architecture in the Siegerland and the Urals, that presents the heretofore little known relation between these industrial areas. The exhibition with my works started already in November in Yekaterinburg und moves afterwards to Moscow, Krasnodar, Pingyao (China) and back to Siegen. In addition, there will be a book with wonderful photographs showing on 120 pages the industrial architecture and culture of different regions, and essays telling interesting things about the Siegerland, the origins of Henning and my work as an artist. 

Since 1989 I’m living in Siegen and since 1997 I’m working there as a freelance artist and photographer. My works were shown in solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Brasilia and New York. Museums, like in Houston, Chicago, Rochester and Rio de Janeiro bought my pictures for their collections. My works for the bicentenary jubilee of the Boston Athenaeum and for the 50th anniversary of Brasilia’s capitol Brasília, belong to the biggest projects of the last years that I worked on. 

„The architecture is similar to a full stop which completes the artistic process and at the same time is the starting point for the observer's new artistic journey - that is what Kellner does.” (Irina Chmyrewa)

Excellent Photographer Award, 2nd International Industrial Photography Festival, Shenyang, Tiexi, Peoples Republic of China

Monographs

Galerie Vrais Rêves, ed. 2014. Thomas Kellner: Contacts 1997-2013. With the assistance of R. Mathieu and R. Viallon. 1000th ed. Lyon.

Kellner, Thomas, ed. 2013. Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci - Zwei Siegener Im Zarenland. Lüdenscheid, Berlin: Seltmann+Söhne.

Yekaterinburg History Museum, ed. 2014. Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci. Yekaterinburg.

 

Exhibition catalogues

Arnold, Burkhard, ed. 2013. >> Titles & Icons <<. Köln.

Arrouye, Jean. 2014. “Un Art D'imagination.” In Thomas Kellner: Contacts 1997-2013, edited by Galerie Vrais Rêves. 1000th ed., 4–5. Lyon.

Berkovich, Artem V. 2013. “Georg Wilhelm Henning.” In Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci - Zwei Siegener Im Zarenland, edited by Thomas Kellner, 49–53. Lüdenscheid, Berlin: Seltmann+Söhne.

———. 2014. “Georg Wilhelm Henning.” In Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci, edited by Yekaterinburg History Museum, 7–13. Yekaterinburg.

———. 2015. “Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci.” Ballarat International Foto Biennale, 22–23.

Bingener, Andreas. 2013. “Bergbau Und Hüttenwesen Imm Mittelalterlichen Und Frühneuzeitlichen Siegerland.” In Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci - Zwei Siegener Im Zarenland, edited by Thomas Kellner, 87–97. Lüdenscheid, Berlin: Seltmann+Söhne.

Chmyreva, Irina. 2013. “Genius Loci.” In Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci - Zwei Siegener Im Zarenland, edited by Thomas Kellner, 9–14. Lüdenscheid, Berlin: Seltmann+Söhne.

———. 2014. “Genius Loci.” In Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci, edited by Yekaterinburg History Museum, 13–17. Yekaterinburg.

Guotian, Zhang, ed. (2014) 2014. Life of Photography, World of Dream: China Pingyao International Photography Festival. Pingyao: Zhong guo she ying chu ban she.

Harris, Milton & Penny, ed. (2014) 2014. Head on: Photo Festival May 12 - June 8 2014. Bondi Beach: Head On Foundation.

Oberst, Carmen, ed. 2014. Bauwerke: Räume Für Den Augenblick Und Die Ewigkeit. Carmen Oberst Edition Art Lexikon 12. Hamburg: Blauflug-Verlag.

Verein zur Veranstaltung von Kunstausstellungen e.V. Düsseldorf, ed. (2016) 2016. Die Große Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf 2016. Düsseldorf.

 

Anthologies

Seltmann+Söhne, ed. 2014. Verlagsprogramm Frühjahr 2014. Lüdenscheid: Seltmann+Söhne.

 

Journals and magazines 

Berkovich, Artem V. 2016. “Georg Wilhelm Henning: Ein Siegener Beim Zaren.” durchblick 21 (1): 61–63.

Böhmer, Rudi. 2013. “Dürener Namen.” Dürener Illustrierte Magazin für Düren, Jülich und Regio-Rur 9 (4): 3.

fehlt noch. (2014) 2014. “Fehlt Noch.” Ural Airlines Magazine UAM 76 (1): 68–71.

Kaiser-Kemper, Annette. (2013) 2013. “Auf Spurensuche Im Zarenland: Thomas Kellner Und Der "Genius Loci".” Top Magazin Siegen Wittgenstein, 90–91.

Meng, Ran. (2017) 2017. “The Field Has Eyes: Images of the Surveillant Gaze.” Photoworld (424): 22.

Musvik, Victoria. 2014. “Photofestival in Uglich.” Iskusstvo The Art Magazin 81 (3): 3–4.

Novoselova, Juliana. 2014. “Thomas Kellner: Verformer Der Realität.” Ural Airlines Magazine UAM (1): 68–71.

Scheit-Koppitz, Stefanie. (2016) 2016. “Genius Loci - Zwei Siegener Im Zarenland.” durchblick 21 (1): 1, 60.

Weber, Thomas. (2014) 2014. “Siegener Eisen-Kunst Verbindet Mit Russland.” Werkstoff 7 (1): 10.

 

TV contributions

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 2013. 4 Channel. November 11, 2013. The News.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 2013. 4 Channel. November 12, 2013. The Morning Express.

“Thomas Kellner Interview Genius Loci.” 2013. 4 Channel. November 13, 2013. The Hearing Test.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 7.12.13. 41 Channel. 7.12.13. The Taste Of Life.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci: Thomas Kellner Photographs Polevskoy.” (2012) 2012. 5 Channel. August 29, 2012.

“Thomas Kellner Photographs Jekaterinburg.” (2012) 2012. nakanune TV. August 22, 2012.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 14.11.13. OTV News. 14.11.13.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 2013. Pervouralsk TV. June 18, 2013. The News.

Phoenix. 2016. “2nd International Industrial Photography Festival Shenyang 2016.” 2016.

Province Channel of Liaoning. 2016. “2nd International Industrial Photography Festival Shenyang 2016.” 2016.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 2013. UGMK. June 25, 2013. Our News.

“Thomas Kellner Genius Loci.” 2013. Yamal-Region. November 23, 2013. The Yamal Time.

 

 Online-Publications

“Ausstellung: „Genius Loci – 2 Siegener Im Zarenland“.” Accessed January 02, 2018. web.archive.org/web/20170324091010/http://www.siwiarchiv.de/.

Casper, Jim. (2014) 2014. “Thomas Kellner | LensCulture.” Accessed April 04, 2018. web.archive.org/web/20180718143203/https://www.lensculture.com/thomas-kelllner.

Dijkstra, Jorrit R. 2014. “Thomas Kellner: Genius Loci.”.

"Just like his compatriot and predecessor in Urals, Georg Wilhelm Henning, Kellner reconstructs the familiar environment so that today as well as in the future it stays in motion forever and steadily provides new preceptions." Chmyreva, I., 2013. genius loci. Thomas Kellner. Zwei Siegener im Zarenland. Berlin/Siegen: Seltmann+Söhne.


"Music and architecture: the architecture is similar to a full stop which completes the artistic process and at the same time is the starting point for the observer's new artistic journey - that is what Kellner does." Chmyreva, I., 2013. genius loci. Thomas Kellner. Zwei Siegener im Zarenland. Berlin/Siegen: Seltmann+Söhne.


"He starts to play the rhythm of the world created by mankind, full of constructed churches and factories, and serves the observer the rhythm of a whole landscape - not the individual monuments." Chmyreva, I., 2013. genius loci. Thomas Kellner. Zwei Siegener im Zarenland. Berlin/Siegen: Seltmann+Söhne.

 

February 28 – March 31 2020
ZMO, Zusammenarbeit mit Osteuropa e.V., Mainz, Germany

September 1 - 22, 2019
Brühler Kunstverein, Brühl, Germany

April 22 - May 12, 2019
Kunstverein Alte Feuerwache, Dresden, Germany

September 10 - October 15, 2017
Kloster Arendsee, Germany

March 26 - June 10, 2017
Kunstforum Gummersbach, Germany

August 22 - September 20, 2015
Ballarat International Photobiennale, Ballarat, Australia

November 08 - 29, 2015
Kultur Flecken Silberstern e.V., Freudenberg, Germany

September 11 - 27,2014
Weisbachsches Haus, Plauen, Germany

November 20, 2014 - 6 January, 2015
RWE Siegen, Germany

September 16 - 23, 2014
Pingyao International Photography Festival curated by Zhang Guotian

August 6 - 11, 2014
Photoparade Uglich, Russian Federation

May 20 - July 7, 2014
CDU Fraktion, Landtag NRW,  Düsseldorf, Germany

January 19 to  March 1, 2014
Art Galerie Siegen, Siegen, Germany

genius loci - Two germans in the land of the Tsars
November 14 to December 15, 2013
Metenkow House of Photography, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation

technique: C-Print

edition: 12+3 AP

pricing:

 

01-06: 2690 Euros / 2990 USD
07-09: 3690 Euros / 3990 USD
10-11: 4990 Euros / 5490 USD
12: 7900 Euros / 8190 USD

 

Please check on the specific details of the image in the subtitles

 

prices are matter of sold prints, please ask me or your closest gallery for the current price

 

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thank you to the jurors of the cristical mass competition 2015 for their valuable comments:

YOUR JUROR COMMENTS

This is blowing my mind. It's really good!

Nice! Are you familiar with David Hockney's polaroids? Good luck! - S.Bohnacker

 

Interesting technique.

 

More information about technique used and why selected would be desirable. Some nice compositions (second to the last a bit cluttered) and I enjoyed overall.

 

These photographs, which call to my mind the work of Chuck Close and reference the beautiful artisanal mosaic work found in many cultures, in particular, Russia.

 

They are at once careful architectural studies and whimsical impressions.
I'd like to know more about the technique. This could be addressed more fully in your statement.

“Genius Loci”  is so unique and  different. Documentary but abstract of a German CIty (Siegen) and two Russian Cities (Yekaterinburg and Perm) Like the Bernd and Hilda Becker Dusseldorf School have been thrown from their deadpan style to a new vision through a prism fracturing ones view that drags the viewer in. -- Geoffrey Koslov

 

Interesting body of work. I like the treatment of the subject

 

Technical tour de force. Images are aesthetically pleasing as well as storytelling.

 

Interesting historically and a unique manner of creating the images.

 

An interesting connection in the history of industrial architecture! Thank you very much for having installation shots (I was curious how large these were on the wall) on your website and the video explaining the project further. Very helpful! Thank you for submitting your great project to Critical Mass this year. Laura Moya, Photolucida

 

Visually very powerful, but I'd like to hear more about what you feel the technical process you've chosen adds to what you intend to communicate. Is it solely a visual exercise using your technique and the area you choose to examine or is there something more?

Thomas, always a pleasure to view your work. Best of luck! Madeline Yale Preston

 

Inventive and unusual. This really frames your subject in a new way. The narrative you tell sets the scene nicely. For me, the strongest images are the ones that go beyond simple, straightforward architectural shots (buildings shot from the front, for example). I appreciate the images with more nuance in composition/design. This is worth continued exploration! Thank you for sharing it with us. -Laura Valenti