7 JUN until 3 AUG
Opening – 7 JUN 2024

On the occasion of Capitain Petzel‘s sixteenth anniversary, the gallery is excited to present Sweet Sixteen, a group exhibition celebrating the artists who have been integral to its program since its inception in 2008.

The collaborative vision of Gisela Capitain and Friedrich Petzel has uniquely united artists from both galleries on an international scale, resulting in ambitious exhibitions and the development of an original program. By highlighting these pivotal contributions, Sweet Sixteen pays homage to the diverse and highly distinct artistic practices that have been instrumental in shaping the gallery‘s identity and evolution.

The anniversary exhibition aims to showcase an array of works by artists that are emblematic of their respective practices, while also presenting pieces that challenge preconceived notions. Surprising contributions include a carpet created by Charline von Heyl, poetry coupled with drawings by Christopher Williams, a large-scale window graphic by Matt Mullican, and a sound installation by Peter Piller.

The focal point of the downstairs exhibition space will be Robert Longo’s 2022 film Sea of Change, An Homage to Winslow Homer. This film, rendered in Longo’s signature monochrome color scheme, pays tribute to Homer, an artist known for his idyllic rural scenes and dramatic New England coastlines. Longo’s film, rich with movement and the reality of changing tides, is contrasted with Sean Landers’ painted seascapes, which playfully echo the feelings of solitude present in Longo’s work.

Also included are new works by Amy Sillman, featuring a canvas painting alongside a series of works on paper. Both are characteristic of the artist’s distinctive conceptual approach to abstraction and figuration, where constant experimentation and revision is key, making the process of creation as significant as the finished work.

Among the selection are new works by two of the gallery’s more recent additions, the highly idiosyncratic practices of Austin Martin White and Stefanie Heinze, both of whom have had major solo presentations this year at Petzel Gallery.

The exhibition will also highlight one of our key historic positions, Maria Lassnig, represented by works on paper. Drawings, for its degree of immediacy, was described by Lassnig as ‘closest to the idea’, and is considered to be of utmost importance in the context of the artist’s oeuvre.

The exhibition will feature contributions by Yael Bartana, Ross Bleckner, Barbara Bloom, Isabella Ducrot, Stefanie Heinze, Charline von Heyl, Sanya Kantarovsky, Sean Landers, Maria Lassnig, Robert Longo, Sarah Morris, Matt Mullican, Laura Owens, Peter Piller, Amy Sillman, Monika Sosnowska, Austin Martin White, and Christopher Williams

11 SEP until 19 OCT
Opening – 11 SEP 2024, 2:30-8 pm

Capitain Petzel is pleased to announce Mikołaj Sobczak’s first solo exhibition with the gallery, opening as part of Berlin Art Week on September 11, 2024.

Mikołaj Sobczak’s work focuses on the creation of alternative historical images, blending video and painting with performance, often in collaboration with German artist Nicholas Grafia. Sobczak’s surreal, collaged narratives feature protagonists from queer and transgender activism, as well as countercultural emancipatory movements that challenge conventional and canonic historical perspectives through marginalized voices. The exhibition draws inspiration from the cafe and bookstore in the Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre allegedly operated by Eva Kotchever, a Polish-Jewish writer, activist, and queer icon, after her deportation from the US to Europe in the early 20th century. It is dedicated to such rumored and legendary spaces – cabarets, bookstores, cafes, and hotels – where queer individuals could authentically and safely express their identities, highlighting the revolutionary nature of the spaces themselves and forming a sense of community.

The gallery will be transformed into a theatrical setting, utilizing its windows and multiple levels, featuring three scenographic rooms with puppets and furniture, seven wooden cutouts, and a selection of paintings. Central to the exhibition are Kotchever and Sylvin Rubinstein, a Polish-Jewish dancer, performer, and resistance fighter. Both historical figures are closely associated with theater and the organization of spaces for revolutionaries, resistance movements, and queer communities. To further explore these themes, the exhibition will feature a public program of talks with historians Joanna Ostrowska and Suzette Robichon, who are actively involved in reconstructing these biographies.

Eva Kotchever, also known as Eve Adams, was a notable figure in the early 20th-century queer community in New York City, where she ran Eve’s Hangout, a tea room and underground lesbian club in Greenwich Village. In 1925, she was deported from the United States back to Europe due to her radical activities and writings. Her life in Poland remains largely undocumented, but she later relocated to Paris, where rumors suggest she organized a lesbian cabaret.

Sylvin Rubinstein was renowned for his cross-dressing performances, where he performed under the stage name “Dolores”. Rubinstein used his theatrical skills as a means of survival and resistance during the Nazi occupation, often disguising himself to evade capture. In Sobczak’s dense and intensely stylized compositions, one can discern Rubinstein’s likeness in various stages of his life – from his time as a performer alongside his sister Maria in the two-person flamenco act Imperio and Dolores to his later years as an aging recluse, recounting curious and tragic memories of his youth to a few interested historians. Rubinstein’s involvement in the resistance movements and his ability to create safe spaces for queer individuals and revolutionaries are pivotal to understanding the intersection of art and activism.