2024- short Story of all
Dear friends,
A truly rich year full of events and twists and turns lies behind us and there are reasons to be grateful.
Jörg Ernert kicked off the year in our Frankfurt gallery at Fahrgasse 17 with his wonderful show “Traghetto”, which focused on Venice and the city's artists.
Jörg Ernert in Frankfurt
A few days later, the Gemäldegalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin presented the first works of art from the holdings of the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in Odessa. The museum's most important works were brought to safety immediately after the outbreak of war and subsequently to Berlin, a process in which our gallery played a small part. However, the presentation in January 2024 was only a small foretaste. The major exhibition with all the rescued works will be on display from January 24 to June 22, 2025.
Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odessa
In 2024, we celebrated Caspar David Friedrich's 250th birthday. Many contemporary artists have explored this great role model, but probably none as intensively as Hiroyuki Masuyama. Consequently, Masuyama was in great demand this year: he exhibited at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Bundesrat, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Pommersches Landesmuseum in Friedrich's hometown of Greifswald. And of course with us.
Hiroyuki Masuyama, Bundesrat
Romanticism in Artificial Light, Erfurt
With the Erfurt show “Romanticism in Artificial Light”, we stuck to the theme and showed works by Jörg Ernert, Moritz Götze, Hiroyuki Masuyama, Nguyen Xuan Huy, Wieland Payer, Marten Schädlich, Hans-Christian Schink and Raïssa Venables.
In Frankfurt, we took up the context once again under the title “Mixed Devotions” - and at the end of June we had to finally leave the space we had occupied since 2005. The owner had sold the property to a “creative agency”, which is still not using it today. 
Mixed Devotions, Frankfurt
In the summer there was a short intermezzo in the space of the neighboring Galerie Schwind (“Across the River and into the Trees” with Hjördis Baacke, Thorsten Groetschel,
Dana Meyer and Wieland Payer) and so the long chapter in the gallery's history in Frankfurt seemed to come to an end after 19 years and 153 exhibitions. Since 2005, Fahrgasse had grown into a functioning gallery biotope with great colleagues and a great team spirit, and I left with regret and gratitude.
Across the River and into the Trees, Frankfurt
Nevertheless, the new situation was perfectly fine for me personally, because the Erfurt gallery, our family, a still open building site and various art fairs offered more than enough to keep me busy. For the gallery's artists, the situation turned out to be less welcome, because fewer exhibitions naturally mean lower sales. And somehow... it also felt strange for me to be standing on one leg.
Reuterweg 71, Frankfurt
A message had already arrived from Barbara von Stechow on July 2, a photo of a shop window with a telephone number. At the end of the summer, I looked into the matter.A former savings bank in Frankfurt's Westend, on the corner of Reuterweg and Grüneburgweg, charming but challenging. Super nice landlords. Without further ado, I threw all my plans overboard and accepted.It turned out to be a forced move. My son gave up his autumn vacation together, my family showed understanding and Constance Rothamel and Grant Morton supported the project with all their might.It was touch and go several times, but then everything worked out
It opened on October 9, with highlights from the gallery program and a lavish party.The floor is new, but further renovation work and professional lighting are still pending.
Frankfurt Opening
Setup in Luxembourg, with Hiroyuki Masuyama
In November, the small Erfurt “artthuer” took place, an artists' fair that is actually taboo for a gallery, but out of local solidarity and sympathy for Michaela Hirche from VbK and her great work, we took part. It was again very entertaining and informal, but the real focus was on Luxembourg Art Week, which started two weeks later. That too is now history and Art Karlsruhe 2025 opens on February 19 - you are already cordially invited!
Art Karlsruhe, 2024
Art Karlsruhe, 2024
Finally, elections will be held on February 23 and I have a small hope that the problems of this country might finally be tackled. If our professional politicians continue to fail, we should switch from the electoral system to the lottery system (which has proven itself some times in the history of democracies).
But first things first: On behalf of all our artists and fellow campaigners, I wish you and your loved ones a relaxing and reflective Christmas and all the very best for the New Year 2025 - health, happiness, success, love and peace!
Our first exhibition in the new year starts in Frankfurt on Friday, January 17, 2025 at 6 pm. We are showing works by Hiroyuki Masuyama and cordially invite you to join us. The artist will be present and we look forward to seeing you again.
Sincerely
Yours, Jörk Rothamel
Already firmly planned for 2025: the annual Easter hike with Grita and Moritz Götze.
From December 23rd to January 5th we will be on Christmas vacation and our galleries will be closed.