Photography Art Düsseldorf – Thomas Kellner at the Business Club
Thomas Kellner: Fragmented Icons – Zerlegte Ikonen at the Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf
December 4, 2025 – March 8, 2026
In cooperation with Galerie Lausberg
Contemporary photographic art meets business and culture
Düsseldorf. With the exhibition Fragmented Icons, the Düsseldorf Business Club, in cooperation with the Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery, is offering a focused look at a body of work that occupies a unique position within contemporary photography. From December 4, 2025, to March 8, 2026, selected works from Thomas Kellner's central black-and-white series Zerlegte Ikonen – 35mm-Welten (Fragmented Icons – 35mm Worlds) will be presented – the group of works with which the artist, born in Bonn in 1966, has been continuously expanding architectural photography since the 1990s. The exhibition brings together iconic motifs such as the Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge, and the US Capitol, revealing how Kellner's analog approach not only places buildings in a new visual context, but also cultural certainties.
Fragmented Icons – Analog Precision and Conceptual Innovation
With Fragmented Icons, Thomas Kellner consolidates a body of work that has fundamentally redefined architectural photography since the 1990s. The starting point is a method that is as simple as it is radical: Using a 35mm camera, Kellner breaks down architectural landmarks into a multitude of sequential individual shots on 35mm film, which are then assembled into rhythmically structured tableaux. These images defy all expectations of classical architectural representation. Lines shift, perspectives oscillate, and the static monumentality of the buildings is transformed into visual movement. Harris Fogel described this effect as “an attempt to flatten something three-dimensional onto a two-dimensional plane”—a formulation that precisely captures the conceptual core of these works: it is not about documentation, but about perception, temporality, and the construction of reality.
Fragmented Icons focuses on buildings whose iconic status extends far beyond their functional architecture. The Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge, and the Capitol in Washington, D.C. serve as visual representatives of cities, nations, and ideological orders in the collective visual memory. Their recognizability is fueled by media circulation and cultural attribution. However, Kellner does not present these icons as monumental entities, but as visually dismantled structures. The supposed stability of their form is systematically undermined. For example, the top of the Eiffel Tower is multiplied in the tableaux, and the clear statics of the four lattice girders dissolve into a fragile structure. The structure no longer appears as the epitome of constructive order, but as an unstable, almost oscillating entity.
This aesthetic destabilization has a clear social dimension. Architecture is an expression of political, cultural, and social orders; those who depict it are depicting worldviews. By dismantling it, Kellner makes these orders visible and at the same time points to their fragility. This is particularly evident in the depictions of the Capitol. Here, the fragmented, set-in-motion architecture is transformed into a visual metaphor for a political state of affairs. Against the backdrop of the events of 2021, at the latest, the image can be read as a cipher for a democratic order that has become fragile.
At the same time, Kellner's work is deeply rooted in the history of photography. His works draw on the tradition of 20th-century architectural photography—from New Objectivity to the Düsseldorf School of Photography—and transcend it through a conceptual principle that is more reminiscent of musical composition than photographic representation. The fact that this complex visual language is consistently created using analog means gives it additional contemporary relevance. Alan G. Artner noted in the Chicago Tribune: “Who would have thought that analog photography could still create so much wonder in an age of digital manipulation?”
Fragmented Icons thus opens up a view of architecture as a projection surface for our perception, our history, and our social constitution. The tableaux not only show buildings, but also examine the conditions under which they become symbols—and how easily these symbols can be shaken.
Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf: Photography and art in encounter
The Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf, which serves in part as an exhibition space for contemporary photographic art and is curated by the Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery, has been regarded for decades as a central meeting place for leaders from business, politics, science, and culture in North Rhine-Westphalia. In a prestigious location on the Rhine, the club combines Hanseatic reserve with Rhineland openness and offers its members a discreet yet lively space for exchange at the highest level. Here, entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries, executives of international companies, consultants, lawyers, politicians, and cultural figures meet in an environment that is deliberately geared toward dialogue, trust, and long-term relationships—an environment where photography, art, and Düsseldorf come together.
Thomas Kellner in the context of the Düsseldorf art scene
When Bernd A. Lausberg approached Thomas Kellner with a request for an exhibition in these historic rooms, the artist did not hesitate for a moment. This determination was fueled by a long history of positive synergies between Kellner's work and the business world. In Siegen, he had already promoted projects such as the exhibition “Art and Business,” which he initiated, and the show “Tango Metropolis” at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Kellner sees the proximity to institutions such as the Haus der Siegerländer Wirtschaft (House of Siegerland Business) or service clubs such as Lions, Rotary, and Round Table as an intellectual opportunity: Even though artists are rarely formal members of these circles, the mutual proximity creates a productive cross-fertilization between free aesthetics, strategic thinking, and the presentation of contemporary photographic art in Düsseldorf.
Spatial dimensions as a challenge for the exhibition
A moment of hesitation only arose when the physical dimensions of the project became apparent. After viewing and studying the floor plans, it became clear that the club was almost the same size as the photography museum in Porto. This spatial expanse posed a considerable challenge for the exhibition planning, which ultimately required meticulous planning using a model – a procedural step that is characteristic of Kellner's precise, almost architectural approach and which illustrates the connection between photography, art, and Düsseldorf's museum and gallery architecture.
Architecture, atmosphere, and cultural responsibility
The architecture and atmosphere of the club reflect these high standards: clean lines, solid materials, and a focused environment invite listening and discussion. The club does not see itself as a place for superficial networking routines, but as a platform for substantive conversations and new ways of thinking. It is precisely this programmatic openness that makes it a special place within Düsseldorf's art and culture scene, one that understands culture not as a decorative accessory, but as an integral part of corporate responsibility.
Membership structure and intellectual symbiosis
The club's membership structure is characterized by remarkable diversity and a high level of decision-making authority. Many of those present are accustomed to managing complex processes and shaping long-term developments. This context gives rise to discussions that combine analytical acuity with personal curiosity. At the same time, the club is firmly anchored in the Düsseldorf tradition of combining art, photography, and international networking. In its symbiosis of economic strength and cultural sensitivity, the business club thus offers the ideal setting for Thomas Kellner's work: a place of thought, reflection, and creativity, where photography and art are given a visible, intellectual stage in Düsseldorf.
Previous exhibitions and the Düsseldorf context
Thomas Kellner's artistic genesis is inextricably linked to the discursive terrain of Düsseldorf, which is manifested in a continuous and high-caliber exhibition history within the state capital. The current exhibition at the Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf fits seamlessly into this context. As early as 2014, Kellner sent a clear signal about the political and cultural relevance of his architectural deconstructions with his solo exhibition “genius loci – Zwei Siegener im Zarenland” (genius loci – Two Siegeners in Tsarist Russia) at the CDU faction of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. This institutional anchoring continued in 2022 at the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects, where his series on the half-timbered houses of the Siegen industrial area received specific architectural-historical recognition. These shows illustrate Kellner's ability to position photography as a precise instrument of analysis at the interface between history and the present.
Integration into Düsseldorf group and association exhibitions
Kellner also occupies a prominent position within Düsseldorf's lively group exhibitions and association structures. His participation in prestigious formats such as “Die Grosse” at the Museum Kunstpalast (2016) and his regular presence in the member exhibitions of the Verein Düsseldorfer Künstler (Düsseldorf Artists' Association) and the VdDK (Association of German Fine Artists) underscore his firm integration into the city's academic and artistic network. A special curatorial focus was placed on the exhibition “Light and Mind” (2021/2022) at the Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery, conceived by Prof. Gudrun Kemsa. Here, Kellner's work was placed in a direct constructive context with contemporary positions, highlighting the intellectual rigor of his work in the sense of a “visual analytical synthesis.” His involvement in projects such as Charity @ Weltkunstzimmer (2023) also demonstrates the connection between artistic ambition and social responsibility within the local scene.
Fragmented Icons: Conceptual presentation at the Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf
With the current exhibition “Fragmented Icons” (December 2025 – March 2026), presented by Lausberg Contemporary & Consult in the premises of the Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf, this connection is undergoing a new, forward-looking consolidation. The exhibition marks a significant transition: away from the classic gallery space to a conceptual presentation in an environment characterized by entrepreneurial analysis and social creativity. The fragmentation of global architectural icons becomes a visual metaphor for modern processes of change—a theme that resonates perfectly in Düsseldorf, the epicenter between the art academy, the Düsseldorf School of Photography, and the global business location. For curators and collectors, this stop is not only a continuation of the exhibition history, but also a consistent re-evaluation of Kellner's work against the backdrop of current socio-political issues.
Düsseldorf as a sounding board for photography and art
Overall, the Düsseldorf archive of Thomas Kellner documents an impressive continuity of institutional acceptance. From museum contexts such as the Kunstpalast to professional presentations in the Chamber of Architects to progressive gallery projects, Düsseldorf is the ideal sounding board for photography and art. Each of these stations serves as a point of validation for an artistic attitude that—deeply rooted in the tradition of the Düsseldorf School—has consistently developed the medium of photography toward an autonomous, constructive visual language.
Complete List of the Düsseldorf Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions in Düsseldorf
Thomas Kellner – Fragmented Icons
December 4, 2025 – March 8, 2026
Lausberg Contemporary & Consult at Wirtschaftsclub, Düsseldorf, Germany
Thomas Kellner – Die Fachwerkhäuser des Siegener Industriegebietes heute
May 31 – September 19, 2022
Architektenkammer Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany
Thomas Kellner – genius loci - Zwei Siegener im Zarenland
May 20 – July 7, 2014
CDU Fraktion, Landtag NRW, Düsseldorf, Germany
Group Exhibitions in Düsseldorf
Charity @ Weltkunstzimmer
February 24 – March 5, 2023
Weltkunstzimmer, Düsseldorf, Germany
Freddy Langer – Redakteur, Sammler, Fotograf.
December 9, 2022 – January 15, 2026
KUH – Kunst und Haltung e.V., Duesseldorf, Germany
Wie es Euch gefällt – member exhibition 2022
August 20–28, 2022
Verein der Düsseldorfer Künstler, Düsseldorf, Germany
Light and mind
November 6, 2021 – February 20, 2022
Galerie Lausberg, Düsseldorf, Germany, curated by Prof. Gudrun Kemsa
Kein Thema – member exhibition 2021
August 21–29, 2021
Verein der Düsseldorfer Künstler, Düsseldorf, Germany
Die Grosse 2016
February 20 – March 13, 2016
Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany
Grosse Kunstausstellung Düsseldorf NRW 2000
December 10, 2000 – January 7, 2001
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany
Grosse Kunstausstellung Düsseldorf NRW 1999
December 12, 1999 – January 9, 2000
Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Das große stille Bild
February 24–28, 1996
euroshop '96, Düsseldorf, Germany
Grosse Kunstausstellung NRW
November 29, 1992 – January 3, 1993
Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany
Fairs in Düsseldorf
European Art Expo 2003 Fotografie Düsseldorf, in focus Galerie Burkhard Arnold, Cologne
July 12–20, 2003
NRW-Forum für Kultur und Wirtschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany
Development and profile of the Lausberg Gallery
Since its founding in 2003, the Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery has established itself as one of the key pillars of contemporary art in Düsseldorf. Originally launched as a dedicated program gallery for concrete and constructive art, over two decades the gallery has developed into an internationally recognized forum for innovative artistic positions. The curatorial focus is on a sophisticated interweaving of young, experimental art and conceptual depth. The program consistently transcends the traditional boundaries of painting, sculpture, and drawing in order to explore new forms of expression. This artistic approach focuses primarily on the parameters of color, form, structure, and materiality, without negating the expressive and reflective dimensions of contemporary photography and art.
The quantitative and qualitative expansion of the gallery reflects its growing influence: while initially representing around ten to twelve artists, the current portfolio comprises around 35 positions from Germany and abroad. The exhibitions range from focused solo shows such as “It only takes 2” (Lydia Mammes, Sonja Edle von Hoeßle) to discursive group exhibitions such as “Light and Mind,” in which artists such as Thomas Kellner, Christine Erhard, and Sybille Pattscheck enter into dialogue. A significant milestone in the gallery's history was the anniversary exhibition marking its tenth anniversary in 2013. With the participation of international protagonists such as Jae Ko, Rafael Barrios, Freddy Chandra, and Nam Tchun-Mo, the gallery demonstrated its global network and its commitment to a diverse spectrum of contemporary aesthetics.
Beyond classic gallery work, the gallery distinguishes itself through large-format art projects and interdisciplinary collaborations. Examples of this include curating the sculpture exhibition “Metamorphoses” in the castle park of Hugenpoet (featuring Jürgen Knubben, Anja Schubert, among others) and participating in important formats such as düsseldorf photo+, where photographic positions by Claudia van Koolwijk and Friederike Näscher were presented. The gallery's international ambition was also evident in temporary branches in Toronto and Miami, which served to promote international artists and establish a presence on the global market before refocusing on the center of Düsseldorf.
In 2022, the gallery underwent a groundbreaking structural change: with the closure of its premises on Hohenzollernstraße, Bernd A. Lausberg transformed his gallery into a model for off-site projects and specialized art education. This step marks the transition to a more flexible, even more conceptually oriented way of working. Overall, Galerie Lausberg remains a player in a sophisticated and courageous program that contributes significantly to the international visibility of contemporary art and photography in Düsseldorf and provides a vital network for players in the art market.
Curatorial Continuity and Gallery Profile
Bernd A. Lausberg occupies a remarkable position in the Düsseldorf gallery scene, characterized less by a loud market presence than by curatorial consistency that has grown over decades. Since founding his gallery in 2003, Lausberg has developed a program that is committed to a concrete, constructive, and material-conscious aesthetic while remaining open to experimental, installation-based, and photographic positions. His gallery functions not only as an exhibition space, but also as a laboratory for curatorial settings in which artistic positions are accompanied, sharpened, and integrated into international contexts over longer periods of time.
The gallery owner's biography—trained in art history, shaped by early experiences in the auction business, and driven by a deep conviction in the sensual presence of the artwork—is directly reflected in the gallery's program. Lausberg sees the gallery as a place for physical encounters with art, thus consciously contradicting the increasing virtualization of the art world. In interviews, he repeatedly emphasizes the “convincing power of beauty, truth, and goodness” as the guiding category of his selection, an attitude that is oriented less toward short-term market trends than toward a quality that is compatible with art history.
This approach enabled him to build up a network over many years that stretched from Düsseldorf to Toronto and Miami, where the gallery's own branches established its program internationally and at times generated up to 80% of sales abroad. Lausberg's role was not primarily that of a dealer, but rather that of a mediator between artists, collectors, curators, and institutions—one of those discreet but decisive figures who contribute to the creation of future art history. Over five hundred exhibitions, numerous trade fair participations from Art Frankfurt to Art Miami to KIAF Seoul, and consultations on building private and institutional collections testify to the lasting effectiveness of this work.
The fact that the gallery also functions as a social and cultural venue hosting readings and concerts underscores Lausberg's understanding of art as a social event. At a time when traditional structures of the art market are disintegrating and loyalty between players is becoming rarer, Lausberg formulates an attitude of consistency based on trust, continuity, and art-historical responsibility. His gallery is thus less a commercial trading center than a place where aesthetic convictions become visible over the years and where it is possible to see how consistent program work generates long-term cultural relevance—especially at the Center for Contemporary Photography and Art in Düsseldorf.
Düsseldorf School of Photography: Photography between art, method, and academia in Düsseldorf
The so-called Düsseldorf School of Photography marks the decisive turning point at which artistic photography achieved its emancipation as an independent, conceptually grounded discipline within the global art canon. Its origins lie in the teachings of Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, who, starting in the 1970s, pushed for a radical departure from subjective, narrative imagery toward an attitude of absolute precision and systematic seriality. In their typological studies of industrial functional buildings, the Bechers established an aesthetic in which structure, comparability, and repetition were not merely documentary means, but central aesthetic principles. This visual order transformed industrial relics into autonomous art objects, laying the foundation for a methodological rigor that would shape an entire generation of artists and define photography as an art form in Düsseldorf for years to come.
Protagonists of the Düsseldorf School of Photography and the Expansion of Photography into an Art Form
From this intellectual breeding ground, protagonists such as Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Candida Höfer, Axel Hütte, and Thomas Ruff developed highly individual yet methodologically related positions. What they all have in common is a pronounced formal discipline and a profound awareness of the tension between space, architecture, and social reality. By introducing monumental formats and a wealth of technical detail that ties in with the traditions of history painting in its precision, they considerably expanded the physical and museum possibilities of the medium. Photography was no longer understood as a fleeting moment, but as a large-format construction that, in its compositional clarity, rearranged the perception of reality and made photography internationally visible as art.
Photography as an analytical instrument of social reality
This phenomenon is characterized less by a homogeneous style than by a shared mindset: photography functions as an analytical instrument for deciphering the world. In these works, architecture is rendered legible not only as a structure, but also as a manifestation of cultural, political, and economic structures. People often appear embedded in complex sociocultural systems – whether in museums, libraries, or urban spaces – thereby becoming ciphers for social narratives. This thematic weight, coupled with an almost clinical formal rigor, gives the works a timeless presence within contemporary art that transcends mere representation.
International reception and significance for photography and art from Düsseldorf
The international reception of the Düsseldorf School has firmly anchored photography in the institutional and economic fabric of the art market. Its works, which are now represented in the world's most important museum collections, serve as a universal reference point for the combination of technical perfection and intellectual content. Thus, the Düsseldorf School of Photography represents not only a local academic tradition, but also a global movement that defines photography as a serious intellectual discipline within art and has permanently dissolved the boundaries between documentation and construction.
Düsseldorf School of Photography among the top 100 in the world (February 7, 2026, artfacts.net)
16. Thomas Ruff 1958
67. Thomas Struth 1954
83. Candida Höfer 1944
85. Andreas Gursky 1955
Today, we count among Becher's students: Laurenz Berges, Boris Becker, Volker Döhne, Elger Esser, Claudia Fährenkemper, Bernhard Fuchs, Claus Goedicke, Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Axel Hütte, Simone Nieweg, Tata Ronkholz, Thomas Ruff, Jörg Sasse, Thomas Struth, and Petra Wunderlich.
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Eiskellerstraße 1
40213 Düsseldorf
Germany
Thomas Kellner and the Düsseldorf photography scene: photography, art, and spaces for discourse
In the context of the influential history of the Düsseldorf School of Photography, which established the medium of photography as an analytical tool for deciphering the world, the contemporary platform düsseldorf photo+ takes on particular relevance. The biennial festival does not function as a nostalgic retrospective of the Becher class, but as a lively resonance space in which their methodological legacy is related to current artistic strategies. Here, photography is negotiated as an intellectual discipline that moves between documentation, construction, and conceptual image practice. For Thomas Kellner, whose work has dealt with architecture, structure, and perception for decades, this environment provides a natural point of reference that embeds his work in an expanded art-historical and contemporary discourse.
The Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery as a discursive hub for photography in Düsseldorf
The Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery plays a central role within this structure. Since its founding in 2003, it has stood for concrete, constructive, and experimental positions in contemporary art. With its strategic realignment toward off-site projects and conceptual communication formats since 2022, the gallery is consciously responding to the changing reception habits of an international audience. This attitude is evident at düsseldorf photo+: photography is not presented here as an isolated genre, but as a medium that places color, form, structure, and space in a new relationship. The presentation of artists such as Claudia van Koolwijk and Friederike Näscher illustrates the intellectual ambition of the program, which has developed from a small group of artists into an international portfolio of around 35 positions.
Photography between materiality, space, and social narrative
In the context of the festival, photography becomes legible as a vehicle for complex architectural and social narratives. This perspective corresponds directly with Thomas Kellner's artistic practice, in which buildings appear not as static objects but as visual systems that reflect cultural orders. The methodical deconstruction of architecture that characterizes Kellner's work finds a discursive environment here in which questions of perception, the construction of reality, and the materiality of the image are negotiated. Photography is thus transformed from pure representation into a reflective image structure that engages the viewer in an active process of seeing.
Düsseldorf as a reference center for photography and artistic research
Through the interplay of institutional tradition – art academy, Becher School, international collections – and agile platforms such as düsseldorf photo+, Düsseldorf continues to assert itself as a global reference center for artistic photography. For a specialist audience of curators, collectors, and critics, a line of development is visible here, leading from the typological rigor of the 1970s to the hybrid, expansive image concepts of the present. Thomas Kellner's work also positions itself within this continuity, transforming the photographic analysis of architecture into an independent, contemporary visual language and thus continuing the historical discourse of the Düsseldorf School of Photography into the present.
The Düsseldorf Art Academy
The Düsseldorf Art Academy as an intellectual center for photography and art
Continuing the discursive examination of the architectural and social construction of reality, as already negotiated in the context of the Düsseldorf School of Photography and regional platforms such as düsseldorf photo+, the Düsseldorf Art Academy forms the indispensable intellectual powerhouse of this aesthetic evolution. As an institution, the academy enjoys a worldwide reputation, not only because of its prestigious history, but primarily because of its role as a laboratory for the radical redefinition of artistic media. In the second half of the 20th century in particular, a turning point took place here that freed photography from its purely reproductive function and established it as an equal, conceptually grounded discipline alongside painting and sculpture within the arts. The appointment of Bernd Becher in 1976 marked the beginning of a systematic analysis of the visible, which, in its methodological rigor, permanently deconstructed the perception of architecture.
A Laboratory for Photography: Between Tradition and Avant-Garde in Düsseldorf
The academy functions as a place of constant friction between tradition and avant-garde, whereby the freedom of teaching has given rise to a diversity of positions that go beyond purely documentary objectivity. While Becher's class laid the foundation for an objective visual language, the adjacent fields of discourse at the academy repeatedly raised questions about the materiality, color, and structural nature of the image. This interdisciplinary spirit corresponds closely with the aspirations of important Düsseldorf galleries such as Bernd A. Lausberg, which—deeply rooted in the academy environment—consistently push the boundaries of traditional genres. For artists, studying at this institution means engaging with a complex reference system that ranges from monumental formal language to delicate analysis of the pictorial surface.
Thomas Kellner and the academic genealogy of the “Düsseldorf View”
For Thomas Kellner, the art academy represents a formative intellectual frame of reference, even though his connection to it is a subtle one, shaped by indirect transmission. Although he never formally applied for admission, the academy remained a present point of reference through visits and the social environment. Far more significant, however, is the academic genealogy of his own career: almost his entire faculty was deeply rooted in the context of the city of Düsseldorf. Names such as Hees, Nettesheim, Königs, Pramann, Wilmsmeyer, Nestler, Martin Hört, and Rintelen form an intellectual bridge that fed the analytical “Düsseldorf view” into Kellner's own artistic practice.
Photography as an intellectual discipline: relevance for collectors and curators
A characteristic feature of this influence is the ability to analytically question viewing habits. The perspective cultivated there is marked by an intellectual distance that makes it possible to understand the subject as a carrier of cultural and economic structures. This depth of content, coupled with technical mastery, has shaped generations of curators and collectors and elevated the location to an epicenter of the global market for photography and art. The academy is thus not only a physical space for education, but also an intellectual continuum that has established photography as an intellectual discipline.
Conclusion: Düsseldorf as the nucleus of photographic fragmentation and reconstruction
Overall, the Düsseldorf Art Academy proves to be the nucleus from which the fragmentation and reconstruction of reality originated. The concepts of series, structure, and space developed there continue to form the theoretical framework for artists such as Thomas Kellner, who take on the challenge of capturing the complexity of modernity in static images. For institutional criticism and the high-end collector context, the academy thus remains the decisive point of validation for artistic relevance and visionary power within contemporary photographic art.
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Eiskellerstraße 1
40213 Düsseldorf
Germany
Photography, art, and technological excellence: The Grieger laboratory in Düsseldorf
The revolution of the image: Grieger as the global market leader in photographic art
Another dimension of photography in Düsseldorf can be found at the world-renowned Grieger photo lab. The lab's dominance as the market leader in the production of high-quality art has its roots in a decisive innovation in the 1980s and 1990s. With the development and patenting of the Diasec® process—the lamination of photographs directly onto acrylic glass—the company revolutionized the material presence of the medium. This technique made it possible for the first time to present photographic papers in monumental dimensions absolutely flat and without warping.
Synergies of the Düsseldorf School of Photography: Photography in museum format
This physical stabilization and optical brilliance made photographs immediately comparable to large-format paintings in a museum context for the first time. Grieger thus became an indispensable partner for the leading figures of the Düsseldorf School of Photography. Protagonists such as Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, and Candida Höfer used this technological innovation in Düsseldorf to establish photography as a large-format, autonomous art object worldwide.
Odyssey of Materiality: Thomas Kellner's Path to Düsseldorf's Specialist Laboratory Expertise
In retrospect, Thomas Kellner's search for the right specialist laboratory resembles a modern odyssey, marked by the upheavals in photographic technology. When Kellner decided in 1999 to expand his work to include color photography, he embarked on a journey through the German laboratory landscape. Although he had learned color photography thoroughly from Becher's student Claudia Fährenkemper, the complexity of his large-format projects forced him early on to cooperate with specialized laboratories beyond his home in Siegen.
Strategic decisions: Photography between market value and production costs
His path took him via Siegen, Bonn, and Cologne to Düsseldorf. With the consolidation of the market and the takeover of HSL by Grieger, the circle closed in the south of Düsseldorf. Today, Thomas Kellner has his work produced where the international network of photography and art converges. The decision to locate in Düsseldorf was always a business consideration; production costs must be in sensitive proportion to market value.
Conclusion: Integration into Düsseldorf's technical and aesthetic infrastructure
With this step, Kellner finally integrates his work into the technical and aesthetic infrastructure that defines Düsseldorf as a global center of photography. In the midst of the lively art scene, Kellner's analytical fragmentation now meets the technical perfection that already underpinned the careers of the Becher School and physically manifests the high standards of contemporary art.
Grieger GmbH
Goslarer Straße 10
D-40595 Düsseldorf
Germany
Conclusion: Thomas Kellner and the future of photography and art in Düsseldorf
The synthesis of analytical rigor and constructive visual language
The current exhibition Fragmented Icons at the Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf is much more than a temporary presentation; it is the physical manifestation of an artistic attitude that has developed over decades in the tension between the intellectual rigor of the city and an autonomous, constructive visual language. Thomas Kellner has succeeded in understanding the objectivity proclaimed by the Becher school not as an end point, but as a starting point for a radical deconstruction of architecture. His “visual analytical synthesis” transforms the static legacy of the academy into a dynamic, almost musical composition that exposes architecture as a fragile construct of our social reality, thereby setting new standards in contemporary photography.
Curatorial Networks and Sovereignty in Düsseldorf as an Art Location
The collaboration with the Bernd A. Lausberg Gallery underscores the curatorial consistency of a network that defines artistic relevance through content and structural depth. Kellner's decision to consciously position himself beyond large industrial laboratories such as Grieger in the production of his works testifies to an entrepreneurial sovereignty that has become rare in the art world. In a market that often tends toward technological uniformity, he preserves the individuality of his haptic results by choosing specialized manufacturers and a production method that reflects sound business principles. This corresponds ideally with the environment of the business club: here, his photography meets an audience in Düsseldorf that understands precision, efficiency, and independence from standard solutions as core values.
Outlook: Relevance of photographic art in the global and institutional canon
In institutional discourse and in the context of high-end collecting, Thomas Kellner has thus established himself as one of those key figures who are actively transforming Düsseldorf's heritage for the future without succumbing to its industrial constraints. His works are not mere images, but intellectual constructions whose technical integrity and conceptual depth generate the lasting cultural relevance that defines the essence of contemporary art in the global canon.
Thomas Kellner. Fragmented Icons – 35mm Worlds
Thomas Kellner. Fragmented Icons – 35mm Worlds
December 4, 2025 – March 8, 2026
Galerie Lausberg at Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Wirtschaftsclub Düsseldorf, Blumenstraße 14, 40212 Düsseldorf
Galerie Bernd A. Lausberg, +49 202 25347247, info@galerie-lausberg.com
