Greta Garle

Our publication Kunst am Bau: Zustände, Erhalt, Vermittlung [Art in Architecture: Conditions, Preservation, Communication] has been awarded the 2026 Architectural Book Award by the German Architecture Museum (DAM).

We would like to extend our special thanks to the author, Denise Madsack, who explored this important topic as part of her dissertation and subsequently collaborated with us in publishing this work. But of course, we would especially like to thank the Stuttgart-based design studio Matter Of, whose subtle design of the book’s various content levels—from the textual discussion to the various case studies and complex diagrams—played a key role in ensuring that this publication, after being shortlisted for the Most Beautiful German Books award, is now one of the ten award winners of the prestigious Architectural Book Award.

We are absolutely thrilled!

Presentation of the catalogue raisonné, Nagel Auktionen, Stuttgart, 9. Juli, 18 Uhr

Ida Kerkovius (1879–1970) is a key figure in German Modernism. She studied at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where Paul Klee and Johannes Itten influenced her work. In the latter half of the twentieth century she succeeded in establishing herself as one of the leading women artists in Germany. Her powerfully expressive painting represents an overt commitment to figurative representation – at the same time, however, abstraction becomes a sensory experience that has ensured her oeuvre has remained unique.

This extensive catalogue raisonné has been drawn up to provide a survey of paintings by Ida Kerkovius, one of the few women to have made a lasting impact on the male-dominated art industry of her time.

Author Uwe Jourdan will present the catalog. Art historian Dr. Ursula Reinhardt—daughter and successor to gallery owner Erich Schurr, who was a close friend of Ida Kerkovius—will provide an introduction to the artist’s life and work.

The two-volume catalog raisonné will be available at the event. Of course, you can also order it from well-stocked bookstores or directly from our web shop.

Beitragsbild: Ida Kerkovius, Figürliches mit Pferdchen [Figurative piece with a small horse], ca. 1950, pastel; Ida Kerkovius Family Archive, photo © Uwe Jourdan

As part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main, the sam – Stadtmuseum am Markt [Museum for the city’s history] is dedicating an exhibition to one of the most significant design pioneers of the 20th century.

Christian Dell is considered one of the defining designers of the Modernist era. His designs—including the famous lamps from the “Kaiser Idell” series—are regarded today as icons of modern design. Less well known, however, is his connection to Wiesbaden: Dell spent the second half of his life in the capital of Hesse.
This special exhibition explores the life and work of a designer who bridged the worlds of craftsmanship, the Bauhaus, and industrial production. From his early years as a silversmith in Hanau, through his time at the Bauhaus in Weimar, to his work as a teacher and designer in Frankfurt, the exhibition offers new perspectives on an extraordinary life journey.
On display are lamps, metalwork, photographs, sketches, and documents from various phases of his career. The exhibition focuses not only on Dell’s well-known design classics but also on the ideas, materials, and networks of modernism.
At the same time, it offers a fresh perspective on Christian Dell as a figure from Wiesbaden—and on the question of why his work remains world-renowned to this day, while his biography has long remained in the background.

We are delighted that the sam – Stadtmuseum am Markt has collaborated with us to produce a comprehensive publication on the work of Christian Dell. Contributions by Johannes Bergmann, Ulrich Berting, Joana Brauhardt, Brigitte Franzen, Beate Alice Hofmann, Peter M. Kleine, Vera Klewitz, Sabine Philipp, Katja Schneider, Michael Siebenbrodt, Josef Straßer, Sharon Weiser-Ferguson, Christianne Weber-Stöber, and Frank Werner shed light on the various creative periods of Dell’s career and his work in all its facets—from silverware to the “wonder jug” made of plastic. The publication Christian Dell will be released in conjunction with the exhibition.

Ills.: Christian Dell, ca. 1930; Christian Dell / Geb. Kaiser und Co, table lamp from the series “Idell,” 1936/37.

Exhibition: May 9–October 18, 2026, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau
Award ceremony: May 9, 2026, 6.30 pm, in the ruins of the Wallonian Church, Französische Allee 12, 63450 Hanau

The 2026 Friedrich Becker Prize honors works that demonstrate both technical precision and sophistication as well as creative expressiveness. These works are intended to represent the dynamic dialogue between craftsmanship, design, and art—a tension that fascinates and opens up new perspectives. The awarding of the prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, not only celebrates the tenth anniversary but also honors the vitality and sustainability of a constantly evolving field. A total of 150 applications were submitted from Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. The jury—Paul Derrez, Melanie Isverding, and Christianne Weber-Stöber—has nominated 48 works by 49 artists for the shortlist. The winner of the tenth Friedrich Becker Prize will be announced during the award ceremony.

Since 1999, the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art (Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst e.V.) has used the Friedrich Becker Prize to promote international networking within the contemporary jewelry and object design community. The prize was established by Hildegard Becker (1928–2018) in memory of Friedrich Becker (1922–1997), a goldsmith and designer of kinetic objects. To mark this year’s 10th edition of the prize, a catalog is being published that not only documents the current competition but also looks back on previous competitions and highlights Becker’s outstanding work. We are delighted that this publication appears in our program.

Speakers:
Hartwig Rohde, President of the Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst e.V.
Maximilian Bieri, Mayor of the City of Hanau
Malte Guttek, Director of the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau

Musical accompaniment: Ensemble Persimon (Samira Memarzadeh and Enkhtuya Jambaldorj) from the Bridges Kammerorchester, Frankfurt

We invite you to join us for nibbles and drinks afterwards.

Due to the limited number of places, please register by 29 April 2026: info@gfg-hanau.de or 06181 / 256556

The following artists have been nominated for the award: Sharareh Aghaei (DE), Miriam Arentz (DE), Nicole Beck (DE), Michael Berger (DE), Alice Biolo (GB), Heather Blake (GB), Alexander Blank (DE), Iris Bodemer (DE), Catalina Brenes (IT), Helen Britton (DE), Sigurd Bronger (NO), Sungho Cho (KR), Soo Hyun Chou (KR), Sarah Cossham (DE), Andreas Decker (DE), Arianaz Dehghan (DE), Kiesutė Deimantė (LT), Dong Ding (GB), Sam Tho Duong (DE), Veronika Fabian (HU), Benedikt Fischer und Rudy De Gruyl (NL), Yael Friedman (IL), Corrina Goutos (DE), Benedict Haener (CH), Juan Harnie (BE), Mirjam Hiller (DE), Koichi Io (JP), Mari Ishikawa (DE), Svenja John (DE), Empar Juanes (ES), Nikita Kavryzhkin (DE), Mira Kim (CA), Maria Konschake (BE), Andrew Lamb (GB), Xin Liu (CN), Christine Matthias (DE), Gina Nadine Müller (DE), Tim Neumann (DE), Sonia Pibernat (ES), Sarah Pulvertaft (GB), Jenny Scheidegger (CH), Karin Seufert (DE), Martina Tornow (DE), Tim Udvardi-Lakos (DE), Lingjie Wang (CN), Nana Watanabe (JP), Guja Youssefi (DE) und Yuzhe Zhang (CN).

Book launch Textile Practices, March 18, 2025, 7 pm.
HIER— Store, Innere Wiener Straße 24, Munich (DE)

Textiles are one of humankind’s oldest forms of cultural expression, and women have been and remain pivotal players in this multifaceted and exacting field. In Textile Practices, designer and author Stephanie Kahnau presents forty outstanding european female textile designers of the 20th and 21st centuries and their individual methods of engaging with this fascinating medium at the intersection of craft, design, and art.

With support from the Curt Wills Foundation, textile designer and author Stephanie Kahnau invites you to the HIER– Store—a gallery for female creators she founded—on March 18 to present Textile Practices.

A special focus of the evening is on Karen Modrei, one of the forty artists profiled in the book. In a sound performance, she uses a household knitting machine as a rhythmic sound source—through repetition, movement, and tension in the material, a multi-layered acoustic structure emerges that translates textile practice into a performative, audible experience. In addition, the artist Constanza Camila Kramer Garfias will be present and will display samples of her textile work—she, too, is one of the artists featured in the book.

Katrin Modrei, Das Floss der Medusa, 2024, installation with performance
photo © Regine Heiland

Galerie Handwerk, Max-Joseph-Str. 4, 80333 Munich, room „Zugspitze“
Book presentations: Friday, March 6, 2026, 10:00 am–12:30 pm

We are once again delighted to present our latest publications in a joint book presentation with the Art Jewelry Forum at Galerie Handwerk. As every year, the panel is made up of high-profile authors, editors, and artists who will provide insights into the respective publications:

10:00 am
Welcome by Elke-Helene Hügel, Galerie Handwerk, and
Introduction by Dirk Allgaier, arnoldsche Art Publishers

10:15 am
HELEN BRITTON: THE STORY SO FAR, presented by David Bielander

11:00 am
VON LOUISE BOURGEOIS ZU YOKO ONO: SCHMUCK VON KÜNSTLERINNEN,
presented by Petra Hesse and Lena Hoppe, Museum for Applied Arts Cologne (MAKK)

11:45 am
MARZEE, presented by Susan Cummins, Art Jewelry Forum

In the Handwerk gallery, a book sale also invites you to browse through these and other jewelry publications.
We look forward to seeing you there!

[You can download the flyer for the event here.]