Munich, September 25, 2019 (kk) - The KÖNIG GALERIE is hosted by KETTERER KUNST. Berlin and Munich, Prussia and Bavaria, gallery and auction house - is that going to work out at all? "Works out just fine", Robert Ketterer and Johann König agree unanimously. "We both act in the name of art and for the good of our collectors", they continue to explain. For the German art scene the exhibition "Szene Berlin Oktober 19" is a novelty indeed. The KÖNIG GALERIE will show works by 13 established artists working and living in Berlin at the Munich premises of KETTERER KUNST between October 15 and October 25.

The spectrum covers the entire program of the KÖNIG GALERIE: Norbert Bisky, Monica Bonvicini, Claudia Comte, Elmgreen & Dragset, Katharina Grosse, Jeppe Hein, Annette Kelm, Alicja Kwade, Anselm Reyle, Julian Rosefeldt, Michael Sailstorfer, Jorinde Voigt and David Zink Yi.

What is so innovative about this cooperation? The liaison of assumed opponents is not new at all in Great Britain and the US, where an acclaimed auction house even acquired a gallery. The idea behind this has always been of strategic nature; the aim is to expand and consolidate the own market position. The owners of the two medium-sized businesses have something entirely different on their minds. The objective of the unique project is to familiarize the Southern German audience with the Berlin art scene.

What both share is a strong focus on artists working and living in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which is why they want to provide a platform for these positions. "We are not scared of each other", says König. Collectors looking for a work by a certain artist care little about where they can find it. Ketterer agrees: "Buyers don't feel this alleged conflict between auction house and gallery. And we don‘t have this fear of contact either". As medium-sized businesses with a strong focus on direct client contact both have to leave beaten tracks if they want to provide their clientele with new experiences.

The joint project with a title that references the first institutional exhibitions of René Block, is not supposed to be a mere accumulation of names and works. "My intention is to offer insight into the art production", is how König illustrates his motivation behind "Szene Berlin" in Munich. This is why the exhibition shows groups of works by many artists that exemplify the development of the respective artist's practice. In the case of Anselm Reyle, for instance, it begins with a stripe picture from 2008 for which the artist found inspiration from advertisement display boxes in today's hip Neukölln district. The path continues over the complex metal foldings and lands at the latest wall objects which combine geometric shapes on canvas with three-dimensional neon elements.

What "Szene Berlin" primarily offers is context, which is a heart matter to Robert Ketterer: "The aim of this show is to convey how art comes into existence in what is likely to be the world‘s most vivid and creative scene".

The Munich audience can expect compact insight into latest productions by both established and younger artists from Berlin. All in all it is going to be an exhibition that matches and most likely exceeds institutional standards.