Josef Albers | Jordi Alcaraz | Horst Antes | Abraham David Christian | Dahn / Dokoupil | Jean Fautrier | Barry Flanagan | Frank Gerritz | Franz Graf | Beate Günther | John Isaacs | Per Kirkeby | Fritz Klemm | Gary Kuehn | Jakob Mattner | Charles Matton | Kate MccGwire | Rune Mields | Louise Nevelson | David Nicholson | Diogo Pimentão | Arnulf Rainer | Emil Schumacher | Hans Uhlmann | Günter Umberg | René Wirths

Galerie Michael Haas presents around 30 works of classical modern art, art after 1945 and contemporary art. The connecting element seems simple at first glance, but the works on display reveal the complexity of the artists’ approach to the common theme: the colour black.

From Arnulf Rainer and Per Kirkeby to Louise Nevelson, Beate Günther and Frank Gerritz, many artists have used and continue to use the effect and radiance of black in their work. But what is black? Is it a colour or rather a non-colour due to the absence of colour? Black, the darkest of all colours, is described as an “achromatic colour”, just like white and grey. Physically, black describes the absence of visible light or the absorption of all frequencies of light.

In women’s fashion, the “little black dress” has been regarded as an elegant classic since the 1920s; in film and literature, the addition of “noir” (French for black) promises protagonists alienated from civil society and badly marked by life; in certain musical genres, black clothing and decoration are combined with un-Christian symbols to express a certain attitude to life. What about the use of the colour black in the visual arts? It is important to note here that black is not always the same as black. It can also be produced, for example, by a mixture of blue, red or violet pigments. Is the artist’s intention to direct the attention – literally the viewer’s perspective – precisely not to the colourfulness, but to other aspects that make up a work: shape, size, structure and texture of the surface? The comprehensive group exhibition Black offers an insight into the use of the colour black in the visual arts.

From September 16, 2023, paintings, sculptures and works on paper by more than 20 artists will be shown in the rooms on Niebuhrstraße as part of the exhibition Black. You are cordially invited to the opening on September 15, 2023, at 6 pm.

Please also note our special opening hours during Berlin Art Week, Kunst Lager Haas will be then open as well:
Friday, September 15, 2023, 6 to 8 pm
Saturday, September 16, 2023, 12 to 6 pm