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When the Commeter Art Gallery established its first location on Johannisstraße in 1821, it was the first business of its kind in Hamburg. Founding fathers Ernst Georg Harzen and Matthias Commeter played a significant role in shaping Hamburg's art scene. Today, the gallery remains a prominent institution in the city's art world. Over the decades, it has consistently been led by family members with a keen sense and passion for art. Since 1997, Carola Persiehl, whose great-great-grandfather took over the gallery, has managed the business. Under her leadership, the gallery has firmly established itself at the center of contemporary art. She follows a principle that has always been crucial to the gallery’s success: "You must fall in love with a painting to recommend it," she says about her work. A passion for art and business acumen, combined with the idealistic yet pragmatic belief that good, true, and beautiful things have their price, forms the legacy of Harzen and Commeter. This legacy has endured through the changing tides of history, providing the solid foundation for the art pieces that continue to be discovered at the Commeter Gallery today and in the future.

Minjung Kim (*born 1962, Gwangju, Republic of Korea) is a contemporary Korean artist known for her transparent ink works and subtle compositions on layered mulberry hanji paper. Her practice fuses traditional Korean aesthetics with a process-oriented, meditative approach. Through repeated layering and the careful burning of paper, she addresses themes of time, memory, and emotional healing. She understands movement, color, and rhythm as direct expressions of her inner state. Encouraged by her family from an early age, Kim studied Oriental calligraphy and painting as a teenager with various teachers, including the watercolorist Yeongyun Kang. This training gave her a profound understanding of Asian philosophical traditions, in which continuity and the flow of energy are central—qualities that Jean-Christophe Ammann also identified as essential to Eastern art. For Kim, the controlled, focused brushstroke became a means of consciously channeling energy. In 1980 she began her studies at Hongik University in Seoul, graduating in 1985 and completing a master’s degree focused on the four fundamental materials of ink painting. Drawn to Western art, she subsequently moved to Milan and graduated from the Accademia di Brera in 1991. Engaging with artists such as Paul Klee and Franz Kline led her gradually away from figurative tradition toward an abstract visual language. Since 1998, Kim has primarily worked with superimposed layers of paper that she partially burns to reveal spatial and temporal dimensions. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Venice Biennale 2015, and is held in numerous international museum and private collections. Today, Minjung Kim lives and works in France and the United States.

Ispasion Show Productions is a dance company known worldwide for its impressive creativity and graceful beauty. The main mission of the artists is to create unforgettable stage experiences that evoke emotions and captivate the audience.

Dance in its various forms is the central focus. Neo-Flamenco and Neo-Tango, Spanish and contemporary dance, as well as ballet, combine with cutting-edge stage technology and avant-garde visual effects to create a top-tier show.

The artists of the company are talented dancers with diverse backgrounds. They are admired not only for their flawless technique but also for their breathtaking interpretations and expressive stage presence.

"Every beginning has its magic," wrote Hermann Hesse. When the Commeter Art Gallery opened in 1821 on Johannisstraße, it was the first business of its kind in Hamburg. The founders, Ernst Georg Harzen and Johann Matthias Commeter, significantly shaped the city's art scene and left a lasting legacy with 30,000 engravings and drawings that founded the Kupferstichkabinett at the Kunsthalle. In 1847, Wilhelm Becker and Christian Meyer took over the gallery, which was further developed by Wilhelm Suhr in 1878 and moved to a magnificent Art Nouveau building in 1908. Suhr Junior led the gallery into the modern era, showcasing Munch, Nolde, and other Expressionists, becoming a key address for modern art. In 1952, Andreas Suhr took over, followed by his daughter Hella Suhr. Today, Carola Persiehl, a descendant of the founders, runs the gallery and features contemporary artists such as Jochen Hein, Maria Ikonomopoulou, and Klaus Schweier. In 2007, she co-founded the sister gallery Persiehl & Heine, specializing in contemporary photography. The gallery’s legacy of art enthusiasm and business acumen continues to thrive.

Discover all cruises on which the gallery is represented on board.

When the Commeter Art Gallery established its first location on Johannisstraße in 1821, it was the first business of its kind in Hamburg. Founding fathers Ernst Georg Harzen and Matthias Commeter played a significant role in shaping Hamburg's art scene. Today, the gallery remains a prominent institution in the city's art world. Over the decades, it has consistently been led by family members with a keen sense and passion for art. Since 1997, Carola Persiehl, whose great-great-grandfather took over the gallery, has managed the business. Under her leadership, the gallery has firmly established itself at the center of contemporary art. She follows a principle that has always been crucial to the gallery’s success: "You must fall in love with a painting to recommend it," she says about her work. A passion for art and business acumen, combined with the idealistic yet pragmatic belief that good, true, and beautiful things have their price, forms the legacy of Harzen and Commeter. This legacy has endured through the changing tides of history, providing the solid foundation for the art pieces that continue to be discovered at the Commeter Gallery today and in the future.