Ordnung der Gedanken
Herbert Egl
17. Juli – 05. September 2026
Herbert Egl, whose works we are delighted to present for the first time at our Munich gallery, has carved out a style all of his own over the decades of his artistic career. The way he works with paint as a medium, and the way he draws out entirely new nuances from it, is what makes his paintings both exciting and unique.
Rather than clarity and unambiguity, the artist asks the viewer to recognise the ambiguity and ambivalence that arise from the processual nature and the transformation of things during the act of painting – for Egl, painting is a process of exploration that presents us with the most beautiful and meaningful results. In this way, microscopic, macroscopic, geological or urban structures emerge in a wondrous manner, setting no limits to the imagination and associations.
Herbert Egl, born in Stuttgart in 1953; studied at the State Academies of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart from 1975 to 1981; lectured at the University of Applied Sciences for Design in Pforzheim from 1986 to 1995. Herbert Egl lives and works in Stuttgart.
Das Erste und das Letzte
Cornelius Völker
16. Mai – 11. Juli 2026
We are delighted to be opening Cornelius Völker’s first solo exhibition, entitled “The First and the Last”, at our Munich gallery on 15 May as part of the Various Others programme.
On display is the latest instalment of the ‘Folienbilder’ series, in which Cornelius Völker explores the interplay between nature and artificiality through the use of flowers and cellophane, presenting a reinterpretation of the classical still life for consideration.
With great ease, Cornelius Völker develops his depictions of everyday objects, transforming them into images imbued with subtle, nuanced ambiguity. The motifs present themselves as straightforward, clearly recognisable at first glance, yet can no longer be separated from their painterly composition. They remain credible representations of themselves, yet at the same time dissolve, in an ambivalent act, into a metaphor for an abstract painting process.
The paintings are both representational and abstract, and once again demonstrate the powerful presence, complexity, sophistication and clarity that characterise Cornelius Völker’s painting.
Cornelius Völker (born 1965) studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under A.R. Penck and Dieter Krieg. He has held a professorship at the Münster Art Academy since 2005; he has been a member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2018.
15 May also marks the official launch of Various Others, and we are delighted that Bildlabor Kleistpark, Berlin, has accepted our invitation and will be presenting its vision of a museum of the future in a vivid and engaging way in our gallery spaces.
Imaginary Game
William N. Copley & Ambra Durante
06. März – 09. Mai 2026
The double exhibition ‘Imaginary Game’ brings together William N. Copley (1919–1996) and Ambra Durante (born 2000), two self-taught artists from different generations who draw their subject matter directly from their own experiences.
Copley, whose work has been exhibited continuously by Galerie Friese for over twenty years, is thematically linked to European Surrealism; stylistically, he is regarded as a forerunner of Pop Art. His narrative paintings revolve around sexual desire and its moral implications in post-war American society. With subtle wit, he depicts the relationship between men and women as a construct of role-play and projection – characterised by a constant desire to upset the status quo.
Ambra Durante, born in Genoa in 2000 and living in Berlin since 2007, expands this imaginary playing field with an introspective, contemporary perspective. Her drawings recount inner experiences; they deal with loneliness, loss, desire and self-assertion. Tears, creases and imprints on the paper become an integral part of the visual narratives, which incorporate surreal elements in both style and content. Images and words take over the pictorial space, advancing lightly and swiftly, as fleeting as thoughts. Their intensity bears witness to the lived experience of a young generation that is searching, asserting itself and redefining itself.
‘Imaginary Game’ brings together two artistic approaches which, despite being separated by eight decades, are linked by a remarkable affinity: a belief in the power of the imagination, a love of storytelling, and a view of art as a safe space for experience.
Willi Baumeister und Norbert Kricke
12. Dezember 2025 – 28. Februar 2026
24. Februar 2026 - 18 Uhr, Gespräch über Willi Baumeister mit Dr. Jochen Gutbrod, Vorstand der Willi Baumeister Stiftung GmbH
We are delighted to invite you to the second exhibition at our Munich branch at Theresienstraße 46. The exhibition ‘Willi Baumeister and Norbert Kricke’ brings together two key figures in 20th-century art history who – each in their own way – sought a new artistic language in order to give new form to the demand for artistic freedom.
In collaboration with the Willi Baumeister Foundation, works by Willi Baumeister (1889–1955) are on display: early lithographs from his constructivist-influenced early period, in which geometric compositions always take the human figure as their starting point, as well as drawings and paintings from the 1950s. These works form part of Baumeister’s iconic late oeuvre and reveal him to be a unique creator of vibrant visual worlds and a true pioneer of the avant-garde.
On display are three-dimensional works and drawings by Norbert Kricke (1922–1984) from the 1950s – a period during which he had joined the Informel group. His aim was to reclaim artistic freedom of expression within a field of action defined by as few constraints as possible. This act of liberation, geared towards a new beginning, had far-reaching consequences for his own work as well as for the definition of the genres of sculpture and drawing. The selection of exhibits was made in collaboration with Sabine Kricke-Güse, the artist’s estate administrator.
The rooms are located in a listed building, which Sep Ruf constructed in 1952 as Munich's first residential high-rise – in the middle of the museum area, directly opposite the entrance to the Museum Brandhorst.
Our first exhibition is entitled ‘Ja’ and brings together works by Claire de Santa Coloma, Dieter Krieg, Lea Lenhart, Walter Stöhrer and Cornelius Völker.
The title comes from a work by Dieter Krieg, which simply bears the word ‘Yes’. Dieter Krieg was a reader, and one of his books, Ulysses, ends with the words: ‘And I said yes, I will, yes’. A beautiful ending for a complex book – and a fitting beginning for us.
We see the temporary branch in Munich as the ideal complement to the gallery in Berlin on Fasanenplatz. Many of our artists have not been represented in Munich until now, and at the same time this location offers new opportunities and contexts in a city of art-loving and knowledgeable collectors.
We hope that our exhibition activities in Munich will also spark your interest, and we look forward to seeing many familiar faces again – and to meeting new people in Munich.
Tue–Fri 11 am – 6 pm, Sat 12–4 pm
Meierottostraße 1
10719 Berlin
T +49 30 88 71 13 71
mail@galeriefriese.de
www.galeriefriese.de
Tue–Fri 11 am – 6 pm, Sat 12–4 pm
Meierottostraße 1
10719 Berlin
