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The development of Frank Bauer´s oeuvre is intimately intertwined with his interest in photography, which accounts for more than half the books in his library. Bauer´s use of an episcope to transfer images to canvas places him in an important tradition. Two of his own favorite painters, Vermeer and Caravaggio, are both believed to have employed a camera obscura, as did such virtuoso painters as Canaletto and Sir Joshua Reynolds. The invention of photography dramatically expanded the possibilities, though many practitioners staunchly denied the use of photographs as visual aids. Bauer, in contrast, celebrates them. Indeed, he does not create a painting of a person or a scene with the aid of photographs; the photographs themselves are his subjects. He has employed various kinds of cameras over the years, "from low-resolution mobile phones to high-quality roll-film apparatuses", though most of the photos were taken with a focal-plane shutter camera, the Nikon FE2. It is never the artist´s goal to capture some perfect moment or produce a technically perfect photograph. Imperfect specimens, often blurred, sometimes over- or under-exposed, present a far greater and more interesting challenge to his technical skills. A Bauer photograph draws its strength and authenticity not just from its reproductive accuracy, but also from its very nonchalance. Bauer´s first still life, which represented a crucial turning point in his work, was a study of his own breakfast table - a theme to which he has repeatedly returned and one that resulted in a recent series of twelve remarkable small-format paintings. With the breakfast-table studies, as well, the subject is not the set table in waiting that we encounter but the incidental ambience of a meal recently completed. Formally, to be sure, Bauer´s paintings have far more in common with Photorealism than with the Pop aesthetic. Partly a reaction against the gestural excesses of Abstract Expressionism, the new movement hymned such banal American subjects as diners, house trailers, shops, and chrome-laden automobiles. The author and gallerist Louis K. Meisel, the first important champion of Photorealism, once cited three essential requirements for inclusion in the movement: "1. The Photo-Realist uses the camera and photograph to gather information. 2. The Photo-Realist uses a mechanical or semi-mechanical means to transfer the information to the canvas. 3. The Photo-Realist must have the technical ability to make the finished work appear photographic." Obviously Frank Bauer meets the criteria with flying colors, including his use of an episcope to transfer the photographic image to canvas. In spirit, Bauer´s approach is much closer to Hopper´s wistful, melancholy scenarios than to those of the Photorealists. The German artist´s depiction of two people in Hotel Room (2008) is intriguingly Hopperesque, including the separation of the figures in distinct planes of the composition. In mood, it relates to Hopper´s own Hotel Room (1931) and to numerous other works in which an individual is isolated in a claustrophobic space or a couple is present yet the two of them curiously detached from one another. An odd, sinister feeling hovers about many of the works - most obviously, in Nocturnal Garden (2010), but even the birthday still lifes from 2010 and 2013 could harbor dark secrets. Though Bauer acknowledges an affinity to Edward Hopper, it was the Italian painter Giorgio Morandi who served as spiritus rector when he began to produce still lifes. He admired Morandi´s stringency, his subtly graduated tones, his compositional balance. But there were other sources, as well. As he still vividly remembers, a highlight of his peripatetic childhood was a visit with his parents to the Pinakothek in Munich, where he first saw the works of Dürer and Cranach. Later Caravaggio became a major point of reference, along with a very mixed artistic contingent that included Vermeer, Manet, Alex Katz, Balthus, and the minimalist Agnes Martin. [David Galloway
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| Jurriaan Molenaar | BAUHAUS + GRAUHAUS Apr 20, 2024 - May 25, 2024 |
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| Michael Tolloy | ANDROS + GYNE Feb 17, 2024 - Apr 06, 2024 |
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| Idowu Oluwaseun | PEDESTAL Dec 09, 2023 - Feb 10, 2024 |
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| SELECTION 2023 Nov 10, 2023 - Dec 02, 2023 |
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| Harding Meyer | Audience Aug 26, 2023 - Nov 04, 2023 |
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| Summer Break Jul 11, 2023 - Aug 22, 2023 |
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| Flávia Junqueira | Symphony of Illusions Jun 10, 2023 - Jul 08, 2023 |
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| Fransix Tenda Lomba | Historical Shock Apr 22, 2023 - Jun 03, 2023 |
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| Till Freiwald | Echo Jan 28, 2023 - Mar 31, 2023 |
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| SELECTION | Part 2 Dec 16, 2022 - Jan 21, 2023 |
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| Daniel Heil | Wheel of Dharma Nov 05, 2022 - Dec 03, 2022 |
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| Claudia Rogge | WARP and WEFT Aug 27, 2022 - Oct 29, 2022 |
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| Éder Oliveira | Oposición Jun 24, 2022 - Jul 30, 2022 |
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| Fábio Baroli | Where the wind turns May 06, 2022 - Jun 18, 2022 |
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| Frank Bauer | Bilder vom Verschwinden Mar 12, 2022 - Apr 30, 2022 |
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| Selection Feb 08, 2022 - Mar 05, 2022 |
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| Harding Meyer | known unknowns Oct 29, 2021 - Dec 18, 2021 |
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| Kate Waters | It takes one to know one Aug 27, 2021 - Oct 23, 2021 |
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| Giacomo Costa | Atmospheres May 28, 2021 - Jul 03, 2021 |
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| Idowu Oluwaseun | REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE: a synthesis of time and sound Oct 30, 2020 - Dec 12, 2020 |
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| Peter Uka | Inner Frame Aug 28, 2020 - Oct 24, 2020 |
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| Harding Meyer | new works Jun 05, 2020 - Jul 15, 2020 |
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| Mary A. Kelly | Chair Mar 14, 2020 - May 30, 2020 |
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| Michael Tolloy | Solid Solidarity Jan 17, 2020 - Feb 29, 2020 |
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| Kate Waters | Love Shacks and other Hideouts Oct 18, 2019 - Jan 09, 2020 |
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| Frank Bauer | Paths of Inaccuracy Aug 30, 2019 - Oct 12, 2019 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark | Kindness of Strangers Jun 07, 2019 - Jul 13, 2019 |
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| Sandra Ackermann | Escape into your Reality May 03, 2019 - Jun 01, 2019 |
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| Kay Kaul | Cloudbusting Mar 08, 2019 - Apr 27, 2019 |
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| Jurriaan Molenaar | Fermate Jan 18, 2019 - Mar 02, 2019 |
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| Harding Meyer / Humanize Oct 19, 2018 - Jan 12, 2019 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki / Soft Landing Aug 31, 2018 - Oct 13, 2018 |
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| Peter Uka / Fragment of the Present Passed Apr 13, 2018 - May 26, 2018 |
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| Daniel Heil / Monologues Mar 09, 2018 - Apr 07, 2018 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2018 Feb 16, 2018 - Feb 18, 2018 |
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| Sandra Senn / Zwischen Zwei Meeren Jan 26, 2018 - Mar 03, 2018 |
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| Frank Bauer / Die Gelassenheit der Dinge Nov 17, 2017 - Jan 20, 2018 |
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| Kate Waters / Whistling In The Dark Sepr 01, 2017 - Nov 11, 2017 |
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| Untitled Jul 12, 2017 - Aug 02, 2017 |
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| Davide La Rocca / 13K ( Part 1 ) May 12, 2017 - Jun 27, 2017 |
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| Sandra Ackermann / Lost in Nothingness Mar 24, 2017 - May 06, 2017 |
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| Claudia Rogge / CONCENTRATION Jan 27, 2017 - Mar 18, 2017 |
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| Christian Bazant - Hegemark / The Rise and Fall of Transformative Hopes and Expectations Nov 11, 2016 - Jan 21, 2017 |
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| Harding Meyer / The Others Aug 26, 2016 - Nov 05, 2016 |
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| Crossing Borders Jun 03, 2016 - Jul 15, 2016 |
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| Sandra Senn / Flüchtiges Getriebe Apr 08, 2016 - May 21, 2016 |
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| Corrado Zeni / Éloge de la fuite Nov 27, 2015 - Jan 09, 2016 |
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| Claudia Rogge / PerSe Oct 16, 2015 - Nov 21, 2015 |
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| Kate Waters // Tell it like it is Aug 28, 2015 - Oct 10, 2015 |
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| Visions Of Sensory Space ( by Weightless Artists Association - SPARTNIC ) May 15, 2015 - Jul 04, 2015 |
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| Sandra Ackermann / Wasteland Mar 13, 2015 - May 02, 2015 |
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| Lost Scapes Jan 30, 2015 - Mar 07, 2015 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark / Calibrating Aesthetics Nov 14, 2014 - Jan 17, 2015 |
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| Frank Bauer / Back to Basics Aug 29, 2014 - Nov 08, 2014 |
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| Harding Meyer // recent paintings May 23, 2014 - Aug 23, 2014 |
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| Till Freiwald - memoria Apr 11, 2014 - May 17, 2014 |
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| Quadriennale Düsseldorf 2014 / Gallery Evening Apr 05, 2014 - Apr 05, 2014 |
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| Giacomo Costa // Traces Nov 22, 2013 - Jan 11, 2013 |
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| DC-Open Galleries: Matthias Danberg - Inventory by Appropriation Sepr 06, 2013 - Nov 16, 2013 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark // VOW OF SILENCE May 24, 2013 - Aug 20, 2013 |
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| Corrado Zeni // Generation Why Apr 12, 2013 - May 18, 2013 |
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| behind the Non-Colours Mar 22, 2013 - Apr 06, 2013 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // Running to stand still Feb 15, 2013 - Mar 16, 2013 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2013 Feb 01, 2013 - Feb 09, 2013 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki // Star Tales - White Floating Nov 30, 2012 - Jan 31, 2013 |
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| Claudia Rogge / Lost in Paradise Oct 12, 2012 - Nov 24, 2012 |
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| Harding Meyer // features Sepr 07, 2012 - Oct 06, 2012 |
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| Summer 2012 - Part 2 Aug 10, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
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| Summer 2012 Jul 06, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
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| Maria Friberg // The Painting Series May 11, 2012 - Jun 23, 2012 |
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| Mary A. Kelly // Father & Child Mar 30, 2012 - May 06, 2012 |
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| Maia Naveriani // Future Wolves and Chicks so far Feb 10, 2012 - Mar 24, 2012 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2012 Feb 04, 2012 - Feb 08, 2012 |
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| Kate Waters // The Air that I breathe Dec 09, 2011 - Jan 28, 2012 |
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| Frank Bauer / ...den Wald vor lauter Bäumen.... Nov 04, 2011 - Dec 03, 2011 |
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| Claudia Rogge // Final Friday Sepr 09, 2011 - Oct 29, 2011 |
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| Davide La Rocca - STILLS May 27, 2011 - Jul 16, 2011 |
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| Giacomo Costa // Post Natural Apr 01, 2011 - May 21, 2011 |
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| Harding Meyer - to be a real vision Feb 18, 2011 - Mar 26, 2011 |
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| Shannon Rankin - Disperse / Displace Dec 03, 2010 - Feb 12, 2011 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // I look inside you Oct 15, 2010 - Nov 27, 2010 |
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| Amparo Sard / AT THE IMPASSE Sepr 03, 2010 - Oct 09, 2010 |
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| Kate Waters // The Land of Kubla Khan Jun 11, 2010 - Jul 17, 2010 |
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| Jurriaan Molenaar // Lessness Apr 30, 2010 - Jun 05, 2010 |
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| Claudia Rogge // The Paradise of the Onlooker Mar 05, 2010 - Apr 24, 2010 |
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| Ivonne Thein // incredible me Jan 22, 2010 - Feb 27, 2010 |
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| Frank Bauer // Jet Set Nov 27, 2009 - Jan 15, 2010 |
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| Michael Koch // forever more Oct 23, 2009 - Nov 21, 2009 |
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| Masaharu Sato // SIGNS Sepr 04, 2009 - Oct 17, 2009 |
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| Harding Meyer // blind date Jun 19, 2009 - Aug 22, 2009 |
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| Maria Friberg // way ahead Apr 24, 2009 - Jun 13, 2009 |
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| Claudia Rogge // Isolation ( aus: Segment 8 - die Blasen der Gesellschaft) Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
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| Claudia Rogge - The Opening Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
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| JoJo Tillmann // What you see is what you get Jan 30, 2009 - Feb 28, 2009 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // Die Wirklichkeit ist nicht die Wahrheit Nov 21, 2008 - Jan 24, 2009 |
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| Kate Waters - Getting used to the 21st Century Oct 10, 2008 - Nov 15, 2008 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki - Milky Ways Sepr 04, 2008 - Oct 04, 2008 |
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| Summer 2008 // Painting Aug 12, 2008 - Aug 30, 2008 |
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| Silke Rehberg: Stationen 1,4,6,7,11,12,13,14 Jun 13, 2008 - Jul 12, 2008 |
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| Maia Naveriani: At home with good ideas May 09, 2008 - Jun 07, 2008 |
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| Justin Richel: Rise and Fall Apr 04, 2008 - May 03, 2008 |
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| Davide La Rocca - Strange Object Feb 08, 2008 - Mar 28, 2008 |
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| Frank Bauer: AkikoAlinaAlinkaAndrew.... Nov 30, 2007 - Feb 02, 2008 |
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| Maria Friberg: Fallout Oct 12, 2007 - Nov 24, 2007 |
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| Harding Meyer / in sight Sepr 06, 2007 - Oct 11, 2007 |
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| SUMMER '07 Jul 17, 2007 - Sepr 01, 2007 |
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| Kay Kaul - Wasserfarben Jun 15, 2007 - Jul 14, 2007 |
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| Sandra Ackermann - Point Blank Mar 02, 2007 - Apr 28, 2007 |
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| Tamara K.E.: pioneers -none of us and somewhere else Jan 19, 2007 - Feb 24, 2007 |
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| Till Freiwald Nov 17, 2006 - Jan 13, 2007 |
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| Claudia Rogge: U N I F O R M Sepr 01, 2006 - Nov 11, 2006 |
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| Kate Waters: Killing Time May 05, 2006 - Jun 17, 2006 |
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| Katia Bourdarel: The Flesh of Fairy Tales Mar 31, 2006 - Apr 29, 2006 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki Feb 10, 2006 - Mar 18, 2006 |
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| Silke Rehberg: RICOMINCIARE DAL CORPO Jan 27, 2006 - Feb 26, 2006 |
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| Sandra Ackermann Dec 08, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
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| Corrado Zeni Dec 04, 2005 - Jan 11, 2006 |
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| Frank Bauer Nov 18, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
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| Harding Meyer Oct 07, 2005 - Nov 12, 2005 |
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| AUFTAKT Sepr 02, 2005 - Oct 01, 2005 |
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| Claudia Rogge: Rapport Jun 17, 2005 - Jul 20, 2005 |
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| May 13, 2005 - Jun 11, 2005 |
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| Kate Waters: Solo-Exhibition in the Gallery Thomas Cohn, Sao Paulo Apr 16, 2005 - May 20, 2005 |
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| Vittorio Gui: FROZEN MOMENTS Apr 08, 2005 - May 07, 2005 |
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| Kay Kaul - ARTSCAPES Apr 03, 2005 - May 29, 2005 |
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| SEO Geheimnisvoller Blick Mar 04, 2005 - Apr 02, 2005 |
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| Claudia van Koolwijk at Museum Bochum Feb 26, 2005 - Apr 17, 2005 |
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| Corrado Zeni - Six Degrees of Separation Nov 26, 2004 - Jan 15, 2005 |
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| Maia Naveriani: What' s the difference between ME and YOU? Oct 15, 2004 - Nov 20, 2004 |
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| Tamara K.E.: MAD DONNA AND DONNA CORLEONE Sepr 03, 2004 - Oct 09, 2004 |
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| Davide La Rocca: Real Vision Reflex Jun 12, 2004 - Jul 17, 2004 |
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| Kay Kaul COLLECTORSCAPES Apr 23, 2004 - Jun 05, 2004 |