In 1963, Michael Werner opened his first gallery, Werner & Katz, in Berlin, Germany with the first solo exhibition of Georg Baselitz. Galerie Michael Werner was later established in Cologne in 1969. Since then, Galerie Michael Werner has worked with several of the most important artists of the twentieth century.

History

When he opened his own gallery in 1963, Michael Werner gave

Georg Baselitz Georg Baselitz (born 23 January 1938) is a German painter, sculptor and graphic artist. In the 1960s he became well known for his figurative, expressive paintings. In 1969 he began painting his subjects upside down in an effort to overcome the ...

his first solo show. A branch was opened in New York City in 1990, in a house on East 77th Street formerly used by

Leo Castelli Leo Castelli (born Leo Krausz; September 4, 1907 – August 21, 1999) was an Italian-American art dealer who originated the contemporary art gallery system. His gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the movements which ...

, and re-designed by Annabelle Selldorf. In 1997, the gallery entered into a partnership with Knoedler. In 2009, Michael Werner and Gordon Veneklasen opened an art, film and performance space called VW (Veneklasen/Werner) in Berlin. A London branch with of exhibition space opened in 2012 in

Upper Brook Street Brook Street is an axial street in the exclusive central London district of Mayfair. Most of it is leasehold, paying ground rent to and seeking lease renewals from the reversioner, that since before 1800, has been the Grosvenor Estate. Named ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

; the first show was of work by

Peter Doig Peter Doig ( ; born 17 April 1959) is a Scottish painter. One of the most renowned living figurative painters, he has settled in Trinidad since 2002. In 2007, his painting ''White Canoe'' sold at Sotheby's for $11.3 million, then an auction rec ...

. In 2017 the gallery collaborated with a Brazilian gallery, Mendes Wood DM, to open Hic Svnt Dracones, a project space on East 66th Street in New York. In 2022, the gallery briefly operated a pop-up space at a former Warby Parker glasses store in downtown East Hampton.

Artists

Galerie Michael Werner represents numerous artists, including: * Kai Althoff * Hurvin Anderson * Aaron Curry * Markus Lüpertz *

Peter Saul Peter Saul (born August 16, 1934) is an American painter. His work has connections with Pop Art, Surrealism, and Expressionism. His early use of pop culture cartoon references in the late 1950s and very early 1960s situates him as one of the fa ...

(since 2019) * Issy Wood In addition, the gallery manages various artist estates, including: * Marcel Broodthaers * James Lee Byars *

Jörg Immendorff Jörg Immendorff (14 June 1945 – 28 May 2007) was a German painter, sculptor, stage designer and art professor. He was a member of the art movement ''Neue Wilde''. Early life and education Immendorff was born in Bleckede, Lower Saxony, ne ...

Per Kirkeby Per Kirkeby (1 September 1938 – 9 May 2018) was a Danish painter, poet, film maker and sculptor. Biography By the time Kirkeby completed a masters degree in arctic geology at the University of Copenhagen in 1964, he was already part of the ...

Ernst Wilhelm Nay Ernst Wilhelm Nay (June 11, 1902 – April 8, 1968) was a German painter and graphic designer of classical modernism. He is considered one of the most important painters of German post-war art. Biography Nay came from a Berlin civil servant' ...

A.R. Penck Ralf Winkler, alias A. R. Penck, who also used the pseudonyms ''Mike Hammer'', ''T. M.'', ''Mickey Spilane'', ''Theodor Marx'', "''a. Y.''" or just "''Y''" (5 October 1939 – 2 May 2017) was a German painter, printmaker, sculpt ...

* Sigmar Polke In the past, the gallery has worked with the following artists and estates: *

(2000–2023) * Thomas Houseago *

Anselm Kiefer Anselm Kiefer (born 8 March 1945) is a German painter and sculptor. He studied with Peter Dreher and Horst Antes at the end of the 1960s. His works incorporate materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac. The poems of Paul Celan hav ...

(–1979) *

Tomas Schmit Tomas Schmit (born 13 July 1943 in Thier, now part of Wipperfürth, died 4 October 2006 in Berlin, Germany) was an artist and author associated with the Fluxus movement of the early 1960s.

Recognition

In 2017 Michael Werner became a chevalier of the Legion of Honour, in recognition of his contributions to French culture, which included the donation of 130 artworks to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

Legal issues

From 2011, Galerie Michael Werner launched a $1.35 million legal dispute with the

Gwangju Biennale The Gwangju Biennale is a contemporary art biennale founded in September 1995 in Gwangju, South Jeolla province, South Korea. The Gwangju Biennale is hosted by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation and the city of Gwangju. The Gwangju Biennale Founda ...

and the biennial's insurance company in a South Korean court over three onyx sculptures by James Lee Byars; the works were lent by the gallery for the 2010 biennial and were damaged during removal after the show and in transit back from South Korea.Jennifer Maloney (23 December 2013)
International Arts Dispute
�'' Wall Street Journal''.

References

{{Authority control Contemporary art galleries in Germany 1963 establishments in Germany Art galleries established in 1963