Established in 1996, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art is a leading fine art gallery, which is primarily focused on photography and painting. Founded by Bernhard Knaus while he was still studying economics at the University of Mannheim, before the gallery’s first physical space opened in Mannheim in 2001, Knaus published editions focused on photography. Though still dedicated to the support of photographic practices, the gallery’s more recent programming has expanded to include a range of painting practices as well.
Read MoreBased in Frankfurt since 2007, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art supports its artists through curating six exhibitions each year, publishing and collaborating with external publishing houses on artist monograph projects, and co-operating with larger institutions to generate a range of exhibitions and events.
Bernhard Knaus Fine Art currently represents 21 artists, many of whom share an interest in exploring perceptions of time. Photographer Petra Wunderlich captures living history in her monochromatic photographs of buildings facades including churches and synagogues, while Lena von Goedeke records and preserves the aging of clothes in her ceramic series of shoes including Bittersweet III (white used) (2018).
While Bernhard Knaus Fine Art’s artists generally specialise in photography or painting, their practices sometimes include works in other media, such as van Goedeke’s ceramic shoes and Harald Kröner’s white neon signs such as have you hered (2015). Many of the gallery’s artists are based in various regions of Germany; however, a range of nationalities and localities are represented, including Robert Zandvliet, who lives and works in Haarlem, and Kyungwoo Chun, who lives and works in Seoul.
The practices of the artists of Bernhard Knaus Fine Art range from the representational to the abstract. On the representational end of the spectrum, Florian Heinke’s bold black-and-white paintings of people and places are executed in a style reminiscent of slightly blurred newspaper photographs, while Stefan A. Wengen’s works include photorealistic paintings of animals in various surreal situation, including a formal portrait of a monkey wearing a red hooded cape (Le Singe Peintre 18, 2018). More abstract practices represented by the gallery include the geometric and often monochromatic abstractions on paper and canvas of Joaquim Chancho, and the vibrant abstractions executed in coloured pencil by Karim Noureldin.
Recent publications released by or in collaboration with Bernhard Knaus Fine Art include monographs on the practices of Giacomo Santiago Rogado, Lena von Goedeke, and Katharina Hinsberg. The gallery also continues to stock editions, with works available by both represented and affiliated artists such as Miriam Jonas, George Pusenkoff, Ralf Peters, and Flo Maak in various editions.
Bernhard Knaus Fine Art participates in art fairs in Europe and abroad, including art KARLSRUHE; Arte Fiera, Bologna; Unseen Amsterdam; Art Rotterdam; and Paris Photo Los Angeles.
