Printmaking

Outlines of an Artistic Genre

Soft-opening: Friday, 26 November 2021, 4–9 p.m.

28 November 2021 to 06 February 2022

Address: Wollankstraße 112a, 13187 Berlin

Printmaking. Outlines of an Artistic Genre presents numerous print works on paper from 100 years ago, the earliest from the 1920s, the most recent from 2021. The exhibition follows on from last year’s print exhibition: While the first print exhibition at Wolf & Galentz was dedicated to a single genre, namely wood engraving, which has become rare, the upcoming show explores the limits and possibilities of printmaking in general. Works of the most diverse techniques will be shown, including some exciting experimental ones; the formats range from miniatures to unusually large-format works; the artists come from East and West Germany, Russia, France, Belgium and Austria. The focus is on the presentation of artists from Russia, the Caucasus region and Germany.

The compilation is the result of decades of collecting and of journeys to the Urals undertaken especially for the exhibition.

The exhibition shows historical and contemporary artistic graphics, including works by Mikhail Verkholantsev, early books with original graphics by Vasily Masyutin and Pavel Shillingovsky, as well as a famous Picasso portrait by Georgi Echeistov from 1934. Arkady Kolkhanov’s family entrusted us with several very rare wood engravings by the master. Conrad Felixmüller’s long-time printer, Hans-Jürgen Wilke, lent us works from his collection. We were allowed to select some sheets from Jürgen Wittdorf’s estate for the exhibition. At several auctions and art dealers we looked for lithographies in mezzotint by Rolf Münzner and Andreas Dress from the GDR especially for the exhibition. Also, we collected linoleum prints by female artists from the Soviet Union of the 1960s and 1970s at auctions. Some colour-intensive prints that would have deserved their own exhibition will only be presented in a folder on request due to lack of space. Miniatures – bookplates and others – by masters of the genre such as Gerard Gaudaen from Belgium and Anatoli Kalashnikov from the USSR will also be on display. Another highlight will be the unusually large-format prints by Christian Stock, Philipp Mager and Anton Laiko.

Linocuts and etchings by Klaus Fußmann and annual greetings by his student Hans-Joachim Billib will be shown. The silkscreen prints from the 1970s by Jürgen Peters, produced in workshops in the USA, are captivating in their clarity and outstanding quality. A series of etchings by Aude de Kerros, which combine intaglio and letterpress processes on one sheet, manifest the mastery of the artist from Paris.

In addition to classical printing techniques, experimental approaches are also shown, such as the prints by Svetlana Vedernikova from St. Petersburg, who developed her own printing technique using oil-based ink with an etching press after the end of the Soviet Union, when the artist no longer had a lithography workshop at her disposal. Furthermore, offset prints by Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, experimental litho, etching and copperplate monotypes and other techniques up to holograms by Jürgen Eichler can be seen. A catalogue to the exhibition will be published next year.

Edition

The exhibition will be accompanied by the edition Gesundheitsrisiko Verkauf by artist Henrik Jacob, with whom Wolf & Galentz have been working more closely since 2020.

The exhibition will be flanked by a supporting programme. On Sundays at 4 p.m., various topics related to printmaking will be explored in greater depth.

Supporting programme: Status 9.11.2021

• How does an artist and curator in the GDR come to have a collection of Pop Art prints? Joachim Pohl: Sun. 28.11.2021, 4:30 p.m.
• The printer Hans-Jürgen Wilke talks about his experiences. Wilke printed Conrad Felixmüller’s work for many years.

• Pascal Johanssen introduces the collection of works on paper and prints at the Museum Direktorenhaus, Berlin, and discusses the role of the Illustrative Festival in the creation of the collection.

The exact dates and more supporting programme will be announced soon on the website.

Artists:

Exhibition big room

Mayya Ashinyants, Hans-Joachim Billib, Andreas Dress, Georgi Echeistov, Wladimir Faworski, Konrad Felixmüller, Klaus Fußmann, Gerard Gaudaen, Anatolij Kalashnikow, Arkadi Kolchanow, Anton Laiko, Philipp Mager, Wassili Masjutin,

Rolf Münzner, Christine Perthen, Jürgen Peters, Karl Rössing, Hrachia Rukhkyan

Wladimir Schistko, Christian Stock, Jürgen Wittdorf, Lidia Vertinskaja,

Michail Wercholantsew,

Hallway

Jürgen Eichler, Henrik Jacob, Alex Reuter

Cabinett

Gunther Baumgart, Petr Bystrov, Gor Chakhal, Ryosuke Cohen, Archi Galentz, Gisa Hausmann, Garik Karapetyan, Hagen Klennert, Aude de Kerros, Marina Koldobskaja, Michael Ley, Hayk Mesropyan, Mary Moon, Cristian Opriş, Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, Jürgen Stollhans, Nvard Yerkanian, Swetlana Wedernikowa and others.

Edition

On the occasion of the exhibition, we will launch an edition of the work Gesundheitsrisiko Verkauf (Sale as Health Hazard) by the artist Henrik Jacob, with whom Wolf & Galentz have been working more closely since 2020.