Contemporary german fine art photography: A year of challenges and successes

A year full of challenges and successes lies behind us. While the cultural sector had to contend with a slump in consumption and noticeable cutbacks in the cultural sector, Thomas Kellner was able to set important milestones in 2024. The first presentation of the exhibition Facets of the Big City at the Art Galerie and the exhibition Sights at the State Museum of Art and Culture in Oldenburg were among the highlights of his year. The great response to the cover of Kunst:art, which brought Kellner's works closer to an even wider audience, was also particularly pleasing. (Kusnt:art is on display in all major art institutions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) Such successes are a significant signal of the importance of his art in difficult times.

At the same time, the year was characterized by changes that affected not only the regional art scene in Siegen, but the entire cultural industry. With the end of the pandemic, the federal, state and local governments have noticeably reduced their support for the cultural sector. Even cost-neutral projects that had previously strengthened creativity and community fell victim to the red liner.

Yet in the midst of all these challenges, art is proving to be resilient and forward-looking. Thomas Kellner is optimistic about the coming year: 2025 promises to be an exciting and eventful year with the publication of the book accompanying the exhibition Facets of the Metropolis and two solo exhibitions in Frankfurt and Chisinau. Especially in turbulent times, it is clear how indispensable art remains as a mirror and source of inspiration for social discussions - and how important it is to protect and promote it.

2024 marked the 60th anniversary of August Sander's death, and Thomas Kellner honored this important anniversary with an impressive memorial exhibition at the Art Galerie. The first 60 carefully selected works from the series Facets of the Metropolis were presented. Thanks to a generous collector, 10 authentic originals by August Sander were also integrated into the exhibition, giving the event a special historical depth. In spring, the Chapel Schools, the second part of the fascinating trilogy, celebrated another success in Chemnitz. At the Friends of Art, just a stone's throw away from Karl Marx, the works found an ideal and dignified setting.

Autumn 2024 was marked by two outstanding exhibitions: The paintings from Black & White were expressively presented at the VisuleX Gallery in Hamburg, while the Landesmuseum Kunst und Kultur Oldenburg shone with a monumental special exhibition of 140 works. Over 400 m² and nine rooms offered a comprehensive view of three decades of Kellner's unique work with contact sheets - a real highlight, made possible by the commitment of Prof. Dr. Stamm, Dr. Heinze and their dedicated team.

Further exhibitions in Bruchsal, Bad Hersfeld, Hamburg, Cologne, Bialystok and Brasilia extended his international reach. Kellner's work shone particularly brightly in Brazil, curated by Paulo Herckenhoff and presented by Karla Osorio at the National Museum. Vivian Laux Eggert from the VisuleX Gallery rounded off the year with an inspiring exhibition presentation in Hamburg.
 

An extraordinary moment for Thomas Kellner: his exhibition was reviewed on the front page of the renowned kunst:art in Atelier Verlag - a rare and significant highlight. Also worth mentioning is the support of Dr. Hubertus Koch and Zeitverlag, who presented Kellner's iconic Eiffel Towers in their newsletter, complemented by an entry in the Kunstquartal exhibition calendar. The exhibition in Oldenburg was also the subject of an impressive contribution by O1, which is available on YouTube and documents the show in captivating images.

The book accompanying the exhibition Facets of the Big City was originally planned for last year, but had to be postponed due to a health emergency affecting its graphic designer. Fortunately, he is now on the road to recovery. “All the best and lots of strength, Peter!” Kellner wishes him a speedy recovery. The unfinished work will be completed in Peter's spirit and will be a worthy addition to Kellner's extensive oeuvre.

The current plan is to publish the book via crowdfunding on Kickstarter - a method that was already successful for Black & White in 2016. The aim is to complete the book in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair and the big fall exhibition. These projects once again demonstrate Thomas Kellner's creativity and determination to make even ambitious projects a success.

While the series Fachwerkhäuser, Kapellenschulen and Black & White are traveling and being presented in various exhibitions, Thomas Kellner continues to devote himself intensively to his new large-scale project Facets of the City. So far, he has created 550 portraits - a huge milestone, but the ambitious project is not yet complete. His goal: to portray 1,056 people from all areas of society and thus create a multifaceted image of urban life.

Kellner is still looking for interested participants for the remaining 506 portraits, which are to be created by 2026. The concept is unique: each person portrayed becomes an integral part of the artwork by consciously choosing a role or symbol that represents their identity or view of urban society. The spectrum of portrayals ranges from classic professional groups and cultural actors to unconventional and surprising stagings.

Each session is realized in Kellner's characteristic visual language. The result is not only individual portraits, but also a total work of art that documents urban diversity, dynamism and change. Interested parties can become part of this ambitious project and play an active role in shaping it - a rare opportunity to immortalize yourself in a long-term artistic project.
 

In 2024, artificial intelligence and search engine optimization dominated everyday work in the studio - especially on behalf of third parties. This year, this digital focus is to be gradually applied to our own studio again. The website launched in 2019 is increasingly taking shape, and only a few basic tasks remain to further optimize the digital archive and online presence.

Despite the often lonely work in an artist's workshop, there were once again valuable encounters with interns in 2024 that enriched studio life. In particular, the close collaboration with the University of Orléans and the guests from France provided new impetus and creative perspectives. Students of art history, fine arts or cultural studies are given the opportunity in the studio to deal intensively with the processes of an international art business. They gain experience in exhibition preparation, archiving, social media and art education - and are directly involved in Thomas Kellner's daily work.

Internships are also available again for 2025. The studio offers an exceptional learning environment in which theory and practice merge. The exchange with young talents and international guests creates a lively atmosphere that enriches everyday artistic life and constantly opens up new perspectives.
 

2024 was another extremely successful year for curator Thomas Kellner. When selecting works for his curated exhibitions, the British artist Sian Bonnell particularly caught his eye and he was immediately fascinated by her work. Her conceptual approach, in which she transforms everyday objects into surreal, often humorous scenarios, convinced Kellner so much that he invited her to Siegen for a solo exhibition. The show not only attracted a great deal of attention in the art scene, but was also reviewed nationally by the renowned magazine PHOTONEWS. In a detailed review, both Bonnell's artistic position and Kellner's curatorial work were praised.
But that was not all: in the course of the year, Kellner also succeeded in presenting Bonnell's exhibition at China's largest photography festival, the Pingyao International Photography Festival. The British artist was named one of the two best international artists there - an honor that delighted not only Bonnell herself, but also her curator. This recognition confirmed Kellner's flair for outstanding photographic positions and his ability to successfully place artists in an international context.

In addition to Bonnell's solo exhibition, Kellner curated another high-caliber group exhibition in Pingyao entitled The Whispering Streams of Memory. Eight artists (Ewa Monika Zebrowski, Elizabeth Siegfried, Wolfgang in der Wiesche, Gesche Würfel, Karin Apollonia Müller, Morteza Majidi and William Oldacre) from Iran, Canada, the USA and Germany presented works that deal with memory and its photographic manifestation. The exhibition combined diverse approaches: from documentary series and staged photography to experimental techniques that dealt with the decay and reconstruction of memory.

The show was received with great interest by festival visitors and the international trade press. The transcultural perspective of the exhibition was particularly noteworthy: the different countries of origin and cultural backgrounds of the participating artists ensured a multi-layered examination of the topic of memory. Especially at a time when the question of collective and individual memory processes is becoming increasingly important, The Whispering Streams of Memory struck a chord.
With these two curatorial projects - the acclaimed solo exhibition by Sian Bonnell and the thematically in-depth group exhibition in Pingyao - Thomas Kellner was able to further consolidate his position as an internationally recognized curator. New projects are already being planned for the coming year, which will once again demonstrate Kellner's flair for outstanding photographic positions and his ability to successfully present artists on an international level.

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