The Friedmann-Hahn Gallery in Charlottenburg is a place where contemporary art not only captivates the viewer visually but also emotionally. For 20 years, the gallery has been presenting works that blend a keen sense of current trends with craftsmanship. The focus of the collection is on figurative painting, where art-historical traditions such as still life are translated into the language of the present. Photography is also used as a creative tool to open up new perspectives. The portfolio is further enriched by outstanding sculptors and artists from the Urban Art scene. The gallery currently represents twenty international artists whose works are showcased in solo and group exhibitions as well as at national and international art fairs.

The Friedmann-Hahn Gallery is a place of dialogue, where art is not only viewed but also discussed and experienced. Through regular openings, artist talks, and events, the gallery promotes interaction between art and the public, creating a space where art comes alive.

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"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.

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For more than two decades, Galerie Holzhauer Hamburg has called an old factory loft in Hamburg-Ottensen its home. Gallery owner Angela Holzhauer regularly showcases her program at art fairs and on board the MS EUROPA 2. She has a particular affinity for works on paper – drawings, printmaking, and folds – as well as sculpture. In recent years, the program has expanded to include increasingly more international artists who work conceptually and installatively. The gallery has gained significant recognition through its long-standing collaboration with Georges Adéagbo, the "grand-père" of African conceptual art, highlighted by an acquisition by the Hamburger Kunsthalle in 2024.

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Thomas Holthoff sees his mission as bringing together the experience of seeing art, engaging in conversation, and connecting a journey with a visit to the gallery on board. That is what he hopes to offer guests. Artists view the world through their own unique lens — they challenge us, invite dialogue, and open up new perspectives. In times of confusion, questions, and doubt, it is often these encounters that people seek — and find — both in the gallery and on board. When selecting artists, Thomas Holthoff is first and foremost interested in the individual: their inner world, their modes of expression, and their artistic attitude. As a gallerist, he sees himself as a bridge between artist and viewer. His goal is to spark curiosity and inspire a genuine desire to engage with art. His work also regularly touches on the margins of society — for example, through his long-standing collaboration with Atelier Freistil, which has been ongoing for eight years, or through his exploration of new, forward-looking fields such as Contemporary AI. In this context, Thomas Holthoff curated an exhibition in 2025 for the international law firm Taylor Wessing. And sometimes, everything can be said in a single sentence: “Anyone who doesn’t want to think gets kicked out — of themselves.” (Joseph Beuys)

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For more than two decades, Galerie Jarmuschek + Partner has been a leading presence in both the German and international art market. Founded in 2004, the gallery combines profound market expertise with a keen eye for visionary contemporary artists. Under the direction of Kristian Jarmuschek, the gallery has become a trusted partner for collectors, institutions, and art enthusiasts seeking to build and expand outstanding art collections. Its program encompasses paintings, drawings, and photography, as well as sculpture and large-scale installations. Many of the works presented explore the dynamic interplay between figurative representation and abstraction. The gallery maintains close, long-standing collaborations with internationally recognized artists including Faisal Habibi, Carina Linge, Emma Sarpaniemi, David Eager Maher, Helena Hafemann, and Malwine Stauss. Alongside established names, Galerie Jarmuschek + Partner is renowned for its commitment to discovering and promoting promising emerging talent. Gallery owner Kristian Jarmuschek is an influential figure well beyond Berlin's art scene. For the past twelve years, he has organized the annual POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair as well as the paper positions fair, a salon-style art fair format presented at various locations. Since 2013, he has served as President of the Federal Association of German Galleries and Fine Art Dealers (BVDG), where he actively advocates for the German art market. In 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Board of art karlsruhe, assuming artistic leadership of one of Germany's largest and most important art fairs.

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Photocredit: Clara Wenzel-Theiler

Thomas Pöllmann creates abstract works in which layered colors form dynamic structures full of movement and depth. Using spatulas, knives, and trowels, he continuously alters the surface, giving each piece its own expressive character. The intensity arises from his choice of colors and the technique of overpainting, which reveals hidden layers. Intuition and chance work together, resulting in compositions defined by their complexity and spontaneous development. These abstract works follow no fixed rules but unfold through the creative process itself. This freedom allows emotional and visual tension to emerge, inviting viewers to form their own interpretations. Color and structure merge into a unified whole that combines both rhythmic and impulsive elements. Each layer introduces a new dynamic and opens up fresh perspectives, creating a vibrant surface that captures the moment of its creation. Through his technique and deliberate choice of materials, Thomas Pöllmann enables endless variation. His works reflect a deep engagement with the possibilities of painterly expression and demonstrate how the interplay of intuition and experimental approach can lead to unique visual worlds.

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Christian Schoppe is one of Germany’s most renowned photographers. His career began in Vienna, working with figures like Oliver Hirschbiegel and Martin Kippenberger. In 1989, at just 23, he won the Austrian State Prize for portrait photography. From 1992, he created artist portraits including Gilbert & George and Jeff Koons, exhibited at the Centre Pompidou. He was the first German photographer to document the Romanée-Conti winery and also photographed Paul Bocuse. Back in Hamburg, he captured famous actors like Marie Bäumer, Daniel Brühl, and Loriot, as well as international personalities such as Philippe Starck, Karl Lagerfeld, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sports and political figures like Steffi Graf and Franz Beckenbauer also posed for him. His work regularly appears in top publications like Stern, Vogue, and Spiegel. He has produced campaigns for brands including Deutsche Bank, SAP, and Gillette. Since 2009, he has documented his travels in the “Postcards” series; Hapag Lloyd acquired 180 fine art prints. He also photographs art projects for Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Maison Margiela, with a special focus on backstage haute couture photography.

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Davidoff blurs the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. Total graphic reduction in black and white clearly emphasises the contrast between nature and culture, while abstractly lined up surfaces of the background suggest three-dimensionality to the viewer. The metal works in particular also use the instrument of fusion: the heterogeneously processed surfaces seek to play with the light so that the viewer perceives the depicted in a variety of ways through the reflection. The brightly coloured, contoured, almost woodcut-like paintings demonstrate the full range of vitality that nature and man can offer. Reflective surfaces, sometimes broken in on themselves, refer once again to the interplay, the antipodal nature of nature and culture. Davidoff perceives the world in his pictures as an organic cycle of creation and dissolution, the traces of which he depicts in his paintings. Like Anselm Kiefer or Günther Förg, Jan Davidoff often uses found objects from his environment in his works. For example, he uses patinated historical copper plates as well as industrial steel or glass alongside the canvas as a picture support. In this way, he creates the multi-layered pictures typical of the artist, in which the background and foreground seem to intertwine in many ways.

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Felix Eckardt (born 1975 near Hamburg) is a contemporary German painter known for his atmospheric urban and landscape scenes. He studied painting in Hamburg and Madrid, and his work has been exhibited internationally—in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Zurich—as well as at art fairs including Art Karlsruhe and Kunst Zürich. He is represented by galleries such as Gudberg Nerger (Hamburg) and Samuelis Baumgarte (Bielefeld). In 2022, his widely acclaimed art book Lichtarbeit was published. Contributions in DIE ZEIT along with features on ZDF, NDR, and Phoenix underline his established reputation. His studio in Hamburg also serves as a vibrant venue for art and music events.

Photocredit Marc Seelen

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Nina Papiorek is a German photographer whose visual language is characterised by an unmistakable aesthetic. In her predominantly black-and-white works, she explores the interplay between lines, architectural forms and the human presence in urban spaces. Her photographs lie at the intersection of street photography, urban landscape photography and fine art photography. 
 
A minimalist approach runs like a common thread through her work. At the heart of her photographic narratives lies the relationship between people and their urban surroundings, which she captures using a clear, graphic visual language and a keen sense of composition. 
 
As a professional street photographer, Nina Papiorek has been honoured with numerous prestigious international photography awards, including the International Photography Awards (IPA) and the Fine Art Photography Awards. Her work is exhibited and published worldwide.
 
In addition to commissioned work for international clients, she is involved in various book projects, leads photography workshops and is regularly invited to serve as a judge for international photography competitions. 
 
Nina Papiorek lives and works in Germany. She has been passionately dedicated to photography for over 20 years and is the author of two highly acclaimed photography books. She has been an official X-Photographer and brand ambassador for FUJIFILM since 2026. 

About the Gallery 
The gallery presents a series of works by the German street and fine art photographer Nina Papiorek, created during her photographic journeys through Asia. From Tokyo via China and Hong Kong to Vietnam, she explores the connection between people, architecture and urban space, creating striking visual worlds that bridge tradition and modernity. 
Known for her award-winning black-and-white compositions, Papiorek distils cities down to their essential forms, structures and moods. Lines, light and shadow merge with the presence of people to create graphically powerful photographs that go far beyond conventional travel photography. Her works capture the identity and atmosphere of the places she visits and tell of the rhythms of urban life, of movement and density as well as moments of tranquillity. 
The urban series are complemented by photographs from Vietnam, which document traditional craftsmanship and those who preserve it. Together, the works offer a multifaceted glimpse into the cultural diversity of Asia and the stories hidden behind its cities and people. 

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