Dodi Reifenberg: B. H. Obama (detail), 2008, 30x30 cm, scotch tape, plastic bags, stretcher / Photo: Tom Felber
Tom Felber for creative face Magazine
In these times the first art fair in Germany’s fair calendar attracts a special attention. On the one hand since the artKARLSRUHE is the biggest ever with more than 200 exhibitors in four halls. On the other hand the art fair might be an indicator for the direction of the German art market in 2009. During the first fair-days we did not notice any crisis. The fair was crowded and a lot of gallerists told about their successful deals. Taking these circumstances into account the exhibitors’ optimistic mood does not surprise. Another theme we heard quite often is the fair-architecture with its open and light-flooded halls. Such an environment is a good basis for the gallerists to create an exciting booth-architecture.
A good example is Cornelia Wichtendahl with her gallery c.wichtendahl.galerie. from Berlin. She harmonised her booth-creation with the sculpture-place nearby and uses the daylight to underline the artistic statement of her one-artist-show with Annette Schröter’s paper-cuts as well as her group-show artists. In this group-show the paper-sculptures by Alexandra Deutsch and Angela Glajcar form a perfect ensemble with Winni Schaak’s metal-sculptures. In a couple of days, beginning March 19 c.wichtendahl.galerie. will present Angela Glajcar in a solo-show in Berlin.
Also from Berlin is Raab Galerie at the artKARLSRUHE. The gallery was founded in 1978 by Ingrid Raab and supported young and wild artists like Rainer Fettig or Salomé from the beginning. Supporting upcoming artists is still the gallery’s mission. At the artKARLSRUHE fair Raab Galerie presents Karoline Kroiß in an one-artist-show and among others the Cologne-based artist Harald Klemm with his painting 'Ballroom'.
GALERIE MICHAEL SCHULTZ from Berlin, Seoul and Beijing which was founded in 1986 underlines the importance of the artKARLSRUHE since they decided not to miss this art fair although they participate in the New York art fair which takes place at the same time. In their spacy booth GALERIE MICHAEL SCHULTZ showcases the large painting 'Epidemiology III' by the Chinese artist Chen Wenbo and sculptures like 'Translated Vase 13' by Yee Sookyung from Korea. Additionally they present sculptures by Axel Anklam at one of the sculpture-spaces together with Galerie Rothamel.
34 exhibitors at the artKARLSRUHE come from Berlin. One of the reasons for this fact is the initiative ART FROM BERLIN which is supported by the Senate of Berlin. It allows 15 galleries to present Berlin’s creative energy in an one-artist-show each. One of them is Galerie Degenhartt presenting paintings by Nicole Heinzel. Heinzel engages with and explores the line which she finds in the physical world around her in its various forms. By transforming and defamiliarizing motifs from ordinary every day life she reduces and at them same time condenses these into lines or rather a complex network of lines.
Social and environmental themes are important for the artist Dodi Reifenberg. The Israeli-born artist living in Berlin is represented by the gallery Hohenthal und Bergen. For his artwork Reifenberg takes the plastic bag as his starting point and his medium. He uses hundreds of bags to create sculptures or cuts the bags into slivers of micro-mosaic, which he sticks down to build his meticulous portraits based on photographs. At the artKARLSRUHE Hohenthal und Bergen presents both genre, the huge hanging sculpture 'Civilisation' and a portrait of president Barack Obama.
