Art and furniture newly staged in former dairy halls "Erste Allgäuer Rahmzentrale" in April 2003. Founded in Memmingen's city in 1989 by Doris Riedmiller, who once worked for the famous graphic designer Otl Aicher, she displays international contemporary art in her gallery with gallery shop and furniture. Art plays an important part to create a conscious living atmosphere in your home and office. The spacious interior provides an ideal atmosphere to view the gallery's representation of artists with an independant approach of their own. Sophisticated handicraft, pottery and jewellry as well as high-quality design products and souvenirs are available in the gallery shop.
Karl Gerstner (1930 – 2017) has been recognized for spectacular contributions to several areas of the visual arts since the 1950s. In the first place he has devoted his life and energies to the study of colour as the means of creating his art. In the second, he is one of few artists to have committed themselves to the dissemination of art as an element of popular culture. With his famous 'AlgoRhythms', multiples in editions, or 'Kyklomorphosis', a series with 6 serigraphs, he developed the possibility of acquiring art even for those with a modest budget. His four principle activities are art, design, writing, research. In 1959 he was co-founder of the famous international advertising agency GGK, the biggest in Switzerland. Gerstner is both purist and perfectionist. He has invented rules and techniques that are both logical and precisely controlled and has built for himself a unique place in the world of 20th century art as a colourist of enormous versatility and the creator of magical effects from simple means. His friend, Daniel Spoerri, sees him as an artist who tries to reconcile cool ideology with romantic temperament. His works are shown regularly in exhibitions in international museums and galleries.(Josia Reichardt, Catalogue Marlborough Fine Art). 'Karl Gerstner - Review of Seven Chapters Constructive Pictures' - his complete oeuvre, 2003.
Young-Jae Lee, born in Korea in 1951, has led the traditional ceramic workshop Margarethenhöhe since 1986. Their modern, Bauhaus-like dishware, the legitimacy of material and function, simplicity of form, the craftsmanship of the vessels are famous even in Japan. The ceramic objects of Young-Jae Lee reveal this potter as an intellectual artist who succeeds in holding a balance with form, contents, mind and emotion. Important art awards were given to her and her work is represented in museums of art and quite regularly in international galleries. Exhibition Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich in 2006: 1111 Bowls and in 2008: Spindle Shaped Vases.
Reinhard Blank's paintings turn thought into visual reality and display art as a means to build a bridge between objectifying reflection and subjective feeling. The materiality and geometric structure of his pictures create esthetic experiences and are, at the same time, almost metaphorical statements about problems of scientific knowledge. Since the mid 80s Blank, with his high productivity and multiple rapprochments to various systems of images in 'Concrete Art', developed a visual logic that transports questions about our images of ourselves and of the world into the realm of art. He studied art at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Munich, master class diploma 1986 and was a lecturer at the ZKM, Academy of Design in Karlsruhe. In 2004 he has been working on sculptures made of steel for an exhibition at the Museum für konkrete Kunst in Ingolstadt. Selected further exhibitions: 1986 ‚Die große Kunstausstellung’ Haus der Kunst, Munich, 2005 Kunstspeicher Würzburg, 2007 Künstlerhaus Marktoberdorf, 2010 ikkp and Rehau Museum 10 years Anniversary, 2010 ‚Aesthetics of the Void’ Kreuzherrnsaal Memmingen (solo exhibition).
Chao-Hsiu Chen was born in Taiwan, where she grew up with the influence of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism - the foundation of her wide knowledge and deep understanding of Chinese philosophies and wisdom. She went on to study music in Vienna and Salzburg, and also composed music for television. Exhibitions of her paintings can be found all over in Europe. She speaks five languages, and has written 36 titles, including fiction and non-fiction. Her books have been translated into 16 languages. 'Peonyland - Song of Hope', a family history based on authentic events, has been published in 2005.
The artists' works as described above are paradigmatic for the gallery. For further information, please see also 'ausstellung'. You are welcome to visit our exhibitions in Thal.