Six world-class galleries  

Düsseldorf is a stronghold of art, that is well known. And this global reputation is not limited to the numerous museums and the famous art academy. The lively gallery scene also attracts collectors and art lovers from all over Europe to the Rhine. But where to start with the concentrated art power? We have filtered out six galleries for you, all of which are world-class.   

Beck & Eggeling 

Paul Klee, August Macke, Ludwig Kirchner, Max Pechstein - the names speak volumes. The greats of German Expressionism are to be found in an elegant palace in the Carlstadt district, including a neighboring hall, and in the best of company. Ute Eggeling and Michael Beck have an impressive portfolio of artists to show. For example, the gallery's exclusive program includes works by Heinz Mack from his Zero period, as well as international contemporary positions by Manolo Valdés, the now deceased Magdalena Abakanowicz, and works by German photographers Joachim Brohm and Thomas Wrede. The gallerists, both of whom studied art history, continuously fill their two extraordinary spaces with exciting exhibitions. "We love working across time and disciplines, juxtaposing different positions," says Ute Eggeling about her philosophy. Thus, antique art sometimes meets contemporary art here, or on another occasion the painter Gotthard Graubner meets the ceramics of Fausto Melotti. Such top-class shows are documented in publications of the in-house publishing house. Over the past 25 years, Beck & Eggeling has published more than one hundred books, which go far beyond the demands of a sales catalog and have relevance to art history.  

Konrad Fischer 

When Dorothee and Konrad Fischer presented Carl Andre in their first exhibition in a small room in Düsseldorf's Neubrückstrasse in October 1967, Minimal Art and Conceptual Art were virtually unknown in Europe. Subsequently, avant-garde artists such as Richard Long, Bruce Nauman, Sol LeWitt, On Kawara, Lawrence Weiner, Hanne Darboven, and Robert Ryman made their first European appearances at the Fischers', whose pioneering spirit had a decisive influence on the reception of art in Germany. For something else was different: the Fischers invited the artists themselves to Düsseldorf for projects instead of merely presenting their works. This rather unusual approach led to an international network of artists and paved the way for site-specific sculptures, paintings and installations. Daniel Buren presented his spatial interventions at Konrad, Gilbert & George their "Singing Sculpture" and Wolfgang Laib his works made of beeswax and pollen. The progressive approach is and remains business model and philosophy of life. Thus, the program has been constantly expanded since the gallery was founded. What remains is the commitment. The generation of artists* such as Guy Ben-Ner, Peter Buggenhout, Aleana Egan, Jim Lambie, Manfred Pernice, Magnus Plessen, Wolfgang Plöger, Gregor Schneider and Paloma Varga Weisz is also closely connected to the gallery.   

Sies & Höke 

Nina Höke and Alexander Sies have a proven knack for contemporary art. Since 1999, the two have been casually moving through all media and genres and have already launched many an artist's career during this time. For example, the Canadian draftsman Marcel Dzama, the Belgian conceptual artist Kris Martin and the Costa Rican painter Federico Herrero, who all had their first exhibitions in the gallery in the early 2000s. The gallery thinks and acts internationally, which is reflected in the shows, the fairs, the publications and last but not least in the line-up of artists who choose Sies + Höke for the long term. For art fans, there is no way around the listed premises of the former post office building in Carlstadt, which have grown from 200 square meters to 1000 square meters. Sies + Höke are showing several exhibitions at the same time on three floors of the interlocking building. Half an afternoon is quickly over. The Gerhard Richter show, which Alexander Sies and Nina Höke have planned for February 2022, is a must. Then the art-dealing couple will show the largest exhibition of drawings by the famous painter to date on the entire gallery space. The opening is on February 4, 2022. Five days later, on February 9, 2022, Richter celebrates his 90th birthday.     

Hans Mayer 

Hans Mayer is a man of the first hour. He was the first to show Andy Warhol in Düsseldorf in 1969. He subsequently brought a whole wave of American artists such as Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Bill Beckley, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselmann to the city. The list of resounding names could be continued for a long time. Hans Mayer himself is a living legend in the Rhineland, and his gallery in the Schmela-Haus, in the immediate vicinity of the K20 art collection, the Kunsthalle and the Kunstverein on Grabbeplatz, is a pilgrimage site for art collectors. And it is not only here that Hans Mayer has established a brand: The gallery also specializes in large-scale outdoor sculptures and has been known for its cross-disciplinary activities since its beginnings. Also in the house and definitely worth seeing: the gallery of Hans Mayer's son, Max Mayer, who has dedicated himself to young art.   

Setareh 

Most of Düsseldorf's large, established galleries were founded in the 1990s, the time of the booming art market. Setareh on Königsallee is an exception. The gallery opened its doors in 2013 and has since focused on promoting contemporary art. Among other things, with the concept of juxtaposing emerging artists with established positions. Through such a change of perspective, the idea behind it is to connect the most diverse eras. Another trademark: Setareh offers virtual viewing rooms, studio visits, or interviews with artists, and also engages in a lively online exchange with collectors. So here you have your finger on the pulse of the times. 

Schönewald 

The who's who of the international art world pays its respects in the Flingern district. Since 1992, Paul Schönewald has specialized in renowned artists of German and American post-war and contemporary art, such as Josef Albers, Carl Andre, Georg Baselitz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, John Chamberlain, Gotthard Graubner, Donald Judd, Yayoi Kusama, Agnes Martin, Blinky Palermo, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Thomas Schütte, Rosemarie Trockel and Cy Twombly. Since 2006, the gallery owner has resided in a former hydraulics factory, which he had converted by Selldorf Architects from New York. The spectacular premises in the backyard of Lindenstraße are worth a visit in themselves. But the talents that Paul Schönewald promotes also provide surprises. In addition, the art dealer has been looking after and developing important collections in Germany and abroad for many years.  

Cover:
Anniversary Exhibition View: 50 Years Konrad Fischer Gallery, 2017
Carl Andre
Tony Cragg
Lawrence Weiner
© Achim Kukulies