Siegen. After 21 years there will be no more art in Friedrichstrasse's studios. Thomas Kellner closes his studio on 30.9. and makes room for the university and others. The long-promised Künstlerhaus for Siegen will not exist for the time being. Suitable buildings are sold or otherwise used. Thomas Kellner only remains to say Good Bye with a second video from his workshop: A tear, which he has no more left for the old location.
After 50 years of promoting artists, the studios in Friedrichstraße were the last studios in the city of Siegen. After Reinhold Köhler in the Dicken Turm, followed by Uwe Pieper at various locations, the artists of the Friedrichstraße and finally Kellner were the last vision of an artist's house for Siegen.
Thomas Kellner has transformed the studios into a tangible cultural space and public network in many different ways. Highlights of the twenty years were certainly visits and films by WDR, reports from FAZ and FAZ magazine, from fotomagazines like Profofoto and FotoMagazin and photo magazines from in Poland, Spain and Italy about the group exhibitions up to the report of the Royal Photographic Society from London, a performance of John Cage and the Essen Folkwang Ballets. Artists from all continents visited Friedrichstraße Studios. Kellner established contacts in all twin cities of the city and surrounding towns and municipalities of the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, as well as in the neighboring regions of the Sauerland, Bergisches Land and Hessen, where Kellner held a guest professorship in Giessen in 2003/4. Presentations of his photographers: network went to Iserlohn, Stuttgart and finally to Künstlerhaus Bethanien. As a curator, Kellner was invited to Berlin, Birmingham, Lodz, Brasilia, Beijing, Darmstadt and Houston. 
In the end, celebrate? No! Such a public place, which has contributed to the cultural life of the city for more than twenty years, cannot be buried in the Southern style with music. Nevertheless, there were many good wishes for the end and even if Thomas Kellner shed a tear here, he will stay with his wife in Siegen and will continue his work from here.

Open Studio
September 28-29,2019
Studio Thomas Kellner
Friedrichstrasse 42
57072 Siegen