Bernd Reichert
Biography
Bernd Reichert was born in 1960. He studied chemistry and has a PhD.
The initial incitement for his artistic activities came in 1982 during a lecture on Max Ernst by art historian Diether Schmidt, shortly before Schmidt was expatriated from the GDR. The art and ideas of the surrealists have strongly influenced Reichert ever since.
He moved to Belgium in 1992. Founded the artist book edition Mailworks@Brussels. Published original artist books and the original art assembling magazine Bizarre Cities. Special interest in the medium of collage and printmaking.
Numerous correspondences with artists of the international mail art network and start of participation in the activities of the Fluxus group Chicago.
In 2014, after the suicide of Belgian artist and friend Guido Vermeulen, interruption of his artistic activity. The Edition Mailworks ends its existence with the publication of a tribute to Guido Vermeulen.
2018, renewed artistic activity and increased focus on painting.
During the Corona pandemic, particular interest in the human figure.
In 2021he moves to Berlin.
2022, Residency at the Berlin Art Institute
2023, Co-founds the artists’ association 2Chairs Artspace Berlin e.V. and organises the Salon des Artistes Halensee, an open format for artists to meet and discuss.
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Artist Statement
“In such ugly times the only true protest is beauty” (P.D. Ochs)
Our world today is far more volatile, unpredictable, changeable, and bitterly divided than ever before. It is riven with inequalities, especially gender inequalities. Different value and belief systems compete for supremacy, each repeating the same injustices they claim to be fighting.
In his pictures, Reichert wants to create an alternative. He is in search of something that has been lost in the art of the 20th century, beauty.
He knows that bad things happen in the world, and this is not neglected in his work, but he sees this world as a wonderfully beautiful place to live, and he is interested in showing this and sharing these feelings with us.
To achieve this, he uses the techniques of the old masters and translates them into a contemporary language using modern painting techniques.
The latest works are a series of portrait paintings of people he encounters in Berlin, which he sees as a homage to the Berlin painter Clemens Gröszer, who also died in 2014.
Having lived outside Germany for many years, his aim is to create a kind of psychological map of the newly experienced space – very close to the Situationists’ idea of the psycho-geographical space, reflecting current impressions of the city and exploring the emotional connections between the Berlin of the 1980s and today.
Exhibition history (selection)
Solo exhibitions:
2024 “The only true protest”, Gallery Kunst40, Berlin (DE)
2022 “Body language”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2020 “And God Created Woman”, Chopperchunky Gallery, London (UK) – virtual
2014 Cultural Centre, Minden (DE)
2012 Gallery ORT, Birmingham (UK)
2013 Gallery Kunstwerkstatt, Magdeburg (DE)
2010 Gallery Kunstwerkstatt, Magdeburg (DE)
2010 Gallery 89, London (UK)
2008 Musée de l’Art Spontané, Brussels (BE)
2005 Gallery Meno, Cultural Centre Jonava (LT)
2005 Gallery Kaire-Desine, Vilnius (LT)
Participation in group exhibitions (selection after 2020)
2023 “chair-2-chair, contemporary positions on portraiture”, Culterim Galerie, Berlin (DE)
2023 “collective illusion”, FEM-Net collective, Villa Heike, Berlin (DE)
2023 “That Face”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2023 “Cut it Up”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2023 “how to play chairs”, 48-hours Neukölln Festival, Project Space Daumenlutscher, Berlin (DE) with Performance at Genezareth Church
2023 Artspring, PopUpShop Schönhauser Allee, Berlin (DE)
2023 Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Berlin (DE)
2023 “Cut & Paste”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2022 “Cut Up”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2022 “Faces”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2022 “Divine Feminine”, Art from Heart, London (UK) – virtual
2022 “Mythology“, Kunsthaus RoZig, Los Angeles (USA) – virtual
2022 “Crazy Colours“, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2021 “Goddess”, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2021 KUNST 2021, LiTE-Haus Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2021 “Renaissance of Humility”, German Cath. Cultural Centre, Brussels (BE)
2021 “Surreal”, Tebbs Contemporary (UK) – virtual
2021 Gallery Artizan, Torquay, Devon (UK)
2021 Pepney Gallery, Cavan (IRL) – virtual
2020, 2021, 2022 Members’ Show, Gallery ORT, Birmingham (UK)
2020 “20×20 art on paper”, Christine X Gallery, Sliema (Malta)
2020 “Inner World”, Boomer Gallery, London (UK)
2020 “Between Surrealism & Magic Realism”, Beam Collective, Tel Aviv (IL) – virtual
2020 “Drawing from Life”, Chopperchunky Gallery, London (UK) – virtual
