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The Gele is more than a textile or a fashion accessory: it is a symbol of the strength and boldness of Nigerian women, as well as an expression of beauty, status, self-determination, and tradition. In SCALE & AUDACITY: Gele, Houston-based artist Idowu Oluwaseun (b. 1982 in Lagos, Nigeria) explores the significance of this textile as a material and as an expression of women’s cultural identity and self-determination. In his paintings, fabrics, folds, colors, and body shapes become an independent visual language. Rather than focusing on individual facial features, attention is directed toward the posture, appearance, and presence of Nigerian women. This shifts the focus away from the portrait of an individual toward a multifaceted representation of female identity. As an expression of cultural belonging, Oluwaseun places women wearing the Gele—an African headwrap worn at weddings, religious celebrations, and other significant social occasions—at the center of twelve paintings. Against the often deep-black background, their bodies and intricately draped textiles seem to glow. The pared-down compositions direct attention to the colors, textile qualities, and folds of the Gele, as well as to the women’s different skin tones. The skin itself becomes a painted surface. Through the striking contrasts, it stands out clearly without becoming an object of eroticized scrutiny. At the same time, the significance of skin color shifts. Although it shapes the visual impact of the paintings, it does not become the defining characteristic of the women portrayed. At first glance, the Gele appears to be the protagonist of the paintings. Its voluminous scale and sculptural form, wrapped in a variety of ways, draw the viewer’s gaze. What might initially seem to conceal individuality opens up a different perspective on portraiture: the identifiability of the individual is no longer the primary concern. Must one’s gaze be revealed for an individual to have a voice? In The Nurturer, the woman portrayed communicates with viewers through her expressive posture. Her body is shown in profile, while her head is turned toward the viewer. This creates a direct sense of presence, almost suggesting eye contact, even though her eyes remain hidden beneath the Gele. The elaborately elevated headwrap, adorned with floral motifs in earthy tones, conceals her eyes down to the bridge of her nose. Nevertheless, the woman exudes a palpable energy that extends to the viewer. Her concealed facial features recede behind the expressive power of her body without diminishing her presence or agency. Rather, her presence unfolds precisely through the interplay of concealment and engagement. Posture, gesture, and the way the women occupy the pictorial space convey individuality without immediately disclosing their identities. This creates a tension between anonymity and visibility. The women are not defined by their gaze or facial features; instead, through their charisma and self-assertion, they command the pictorial space. In The Elegant, the woman asserts her presence with raised arms and open palms. Her hands frame the Gele she wears on her head, while her palms face the viewer and her lowered gaze conveys a sense of calm dignity. The dramatic use of light makes her dark body glow. In strong contrast, the gold-and-blue Gele takes on an almost regal quality. Its rich colors and intricate draping accentuate the woman’s presence. Her open palms introduce an additional layer of meaning. They can be understood as an invitation to perceive the woman beyond her outward appearance. They tell a story shaped by work, family, profession, trade, care, and community. The gesture evokes the extent of the responsibilities women carry while simultaneously making their dignity visible. The exhibition is conceived as a tribute to women and their strength. Nigerian women undertake a wide range of responsibilities within their families, professions, and communities. At the same time, they participate in various stages of the textile economy: producing fabrics, trading them, selecting them, wearing them, and passing on their knowledge. Textiles thus connect economic labor and the realities of everyday life with cultural practices and personal expression. The monumental scale of the headwrap and its intricately sculpted folds lend it an almost sacred quality, further enhancing the presence of the woman who wears it and placing her at the center of attention. The Gele thus resembles a crown: a symbol of dignity and recognition. By Sena-Mari Cirit
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| Idowu Oluwaseun | SCALE & AUDACITY: Gele Nov 07, 2026 - Dec 23, 2026 |
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| Lyu Yanxiang | Distant Nearness Aug 29, 2026 - Oct 17, 2026 |
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| Frank Bauer | Transit Jun 13, 2026 - Aug 01, 2026 |
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| Rocío Navarro | The Measure of Things May 08, 2026 - Jun 06, 2026 |
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| Mio Zając | not for me for Ma Feb 21, 2026 - Apr 18, 2026 |
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| Mary A. Kelly | A Delicate Balance Nov 08, 2025 - Jan 17, 2026 |
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| Moses Zibor | THE POWER AND THE GLORY Aug 30, 2025 - Oct 25, 2025 |
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| SELECTION 2025 Aug 01, 2025 - Aug 23, 2025 |
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| Davide La Rocca | WELCOME BACK Mar 29, 2025 - May 10, 2025 |
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| Sandra Ackermann | Anthropozoikum Feb 08, 2025 - Mar 22, 2025 |
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| Amparo Sard | Fuzzy Objectives Nov 16, 2024 - Jan 25, 2025 |
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| Frank Bauer | Herringbone parquet and other problems Sepr 28, 2024 - Nov 09, 2024 |
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| Tenda Lomba | This Wonderful World Aug 24, 2024 - Sepr 21, 2024 |
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| SELECTION 2024 Jun 18, 2024 - Jul 06, 2024 |
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| Jurriaan Molenaar | BAUHAUS + GRAUHAUS Apr 20, 2024 - Jun 08, 2024 |
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| Michael Tolloy | ANDROS + GYNE Feb 17, 2024 - Apr 06, 2024 |
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| Idowu Oluwaseun | PEDESTAL Dec 09, 2023 - Feb 10, 2024 |
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| SELECTION 2023 Nov 10, 2023 - Dec 02, 2023 |
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| Summer Break Jul 11, 2023 - Aug 22, 2023 |
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| Flávia Junqueira | Symphony of Illusions Jun 10, 2023 - Jul 08, 2023 |
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| Fransix Tenda Lomba | Historical Shock Apr 22, 2023 - Jun 03, 2023 |
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| Till Freiwald | Echo Jan 28, 2023 - Mar 31, 2023 |
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| SELECTION | Part 2 Dec 16, 2022 - Jan 21, 2023 |
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| Daniel Heil | Wheel of Dharma Nov 05, 2022 - Dec 03, 2022 |
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| Claudia Rogge | WARP and WEFT Aug 27, 2022 - Oct 29, 2022 |
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| Éder Oliveira | Oposición Jun 24, 2022 - Jul 30, 2022 |
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| Fábio Baroli | Where the wind turns May 06, 2022 - Jun 18, 2022 |
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| Frank Bauer | Bilder vom Verschwinden Mar 12, 2022 - Apr 30, 2022 |
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| Selection Feb 08, 2022 - Mar 05, 2022 |
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| Kate Waters | It takes one to know one Aug 27, 2021 - Oct 23, 2021 |
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| Giacomo Costa | Atmospheres May 28, 2021 - Jul 03, 2021 |
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| Idowu Oluwaseun | REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE: a synthesis of time and sound Oct 30, 2020 - Dec 12, 2020 |
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| Peter Uka | Inner Frame Aug 28, 2020 - Oct 24, 2020 |
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| Mary A. Kelly | Chair Mar 14, 2020 - May 30, 2020 |
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| Michael Tolloy | Solid Solidarity Jan 17, 2020 - Feb 29, 2020 |
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| Kate Waters | Love Shacks and other Hideouts Oct 18, 2019 - Jan 09, 2020 |
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| Frank Bauer | Paths of Inaccuracy Aug 30, 2019 - Oct 12, 2019 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark | Kindness of Strangers Jun 07, 2019 - Jul 13, 2019 |
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| Sandra Ackermann | Escape into your Reality May 03, 2019 - Jun 01, 2019 |
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| Kay Kaul | Cloudbusting Mar 08, 2019 - Apr 27, 2019 |
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| Jurriaan Molenaar | Fermate Jan 18, 2019 - Mar 02, 2019 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki / Soft Landing Aug 31, 2018 - Oct 13, 2018 |
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| Peter Uka / Fragment of the Present Passed Apr 13, 2018 - May 26, 2018 |
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| Daniel Heil / Monologues Mar 09, 2018 - Apr 07, 2018 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2018 Feb 16, 2018 - Feb 18, 2018 |
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| Sandra Senn / Zwischen Zwei Meeren Jan 26, 2018 - Mar 03, 2018 |
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| Frank Bauer / Die Gelassenheit der Dinge Nov 17, 2017 - Jan 20, 2018 |
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| Kate Waters / Whistling In The Dark Sepr 01, 2017 - Nov 11, 2017 |
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| Untitled Jul 12, 2017 - Aug 02, 2017 |
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| Davide La Rocca / 13K ( Part 1 ) May 12, 2017 - Jun 27, 2017 |
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| Sandra Ackermann / Lost in Nothingness Mar 24, 2017 - May 06, 2017 |
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| Claudia Rogge / CONCENTRATION Jan 27, 2017 - Mar 18, 2017 |
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| Christian Bazant - Hegemark / The Rise and Fall of Transformative Hopes and Expectations Nov 11, 2016 - Jan 21, 2017 |
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| Crossing Borders Jun 03, 2016 - Jul 15, 2016 |
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| Sandra Senn / Flüchtiges Getriebe Apr 08, 2016 - May 21, 2016 |
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| Corrado Zeni / Éloge de la fuite Nov 27, 2015 - Jan 09, 2016 |
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| Claudia Rogge / PerSe Oct 16, 2015 - Nov 21, 2015 |
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| Kate Waters // Tell it like it is Aug 28, 2015 - Oct 10, 2015 |
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| Visions Of Sensory Space ( by Weightless Artists Association - SPARTNIC ) May 15, 2015 - Jul 04, 2015 |
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| Sandra Ackermann / Wasteland Mar 13, 2015 - May 02, 2015 |
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| Lost Scapes Jan 30, 2015 - Mar 07, 2015 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark / Calibrating Aesthetics Nov 14, 2014 - Jan 17, 2015 |
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| Frank Bauer / Back to Basics Aug 29, 2014 - Nov 08, 2014 |
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| Till Freiwald - memoria Apr 11, 2014 - May 17, 2014 |
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| Quadriennale Düsseldorf 2014 / Gallery Evening Apr 05, 2014 - Apr 05, 2014 |
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| Giacomo Costa // Traces Nov 22, 2013 - Jan 11, 2013 |
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| DC-Open Galleries: Matthias Danberg - Inventory by Appropriation Sepr 06, 2013 - Nov 16, 2013 |
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| Christian Bazant-Hegemark // VOW OF SILENCE May 24, 2013 - Aug 20, 2013 |
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| Corrado Zeni // Generation Why Apr 12, 2013 - May 18, 2013 |
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| behind the Non-Colours Mar 22, 2013 - Apr 06, 2013 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // Running to stand still Feb 15, 2013 - Mar 16, 2013 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2013 Feb 01, 2013 - Feb 09, 2013 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki // Star Tales - White Floating Nov 30, 2012 - Jan 31, 2013 |
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| Claudia Rogge / Lost in Paradise Oct 12, 2012 - Nov 24, 2012 |
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| Summer 2012 - Part 2 Aug 10, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
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| Summer 2012 Jul 06, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
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| Maria Friberg // The Painting Series May 11, 2012 - Jun 23, 2012 |
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| Mary A. Kelly // Father & Child Mar 30, 2012 - May 06, 2012 |
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| Maia Naveriani // Future Wolves and Chicks so far Feb 10, 2012 - Mar 24, 2012 |
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| Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2012 Feb 04, 2012 - Feb 08, 2012 |
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| Kate Waters // The Air that I breathe Dec 09, 2011 - Jan 28, 2012 |
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| Frank Bauer / ...den Wald vor lauter Bäumen.... Nov 04, 2011 - Dec 03, 2011 |
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| Claudia Rogge // Final Friday Sepr 09, 2011 - Oct 29, 2011 |
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| Davide La Rocca - STILLS May 27, 2011 - Jul 16, 2011 |
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| Giacomo Costa // Post Natural Apr 01, 2011 - May 21, 2011 |
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| Shannon Rankin - Disperse / Displace Dec 03, 2010 - Feb 12, 2011 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // I look inside you Oct 15, 2010 - Nov 27, 2010 |
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| Amparo Sard / AT THE IMPASSE Sepr 03, 2010 - Oct 09, 2010 |
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| Kate Waters // The Land of Kubla Khan Jun 11, 2010 - Jul 17, 2010 |
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| Jurriaan Molenaar // Lessness Apr 30, 2010 - Jun 05, 2010 |
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| Claudia Rogge // The Paradise of the Onlooker Mar 05, 2010 - Apr 24, 2010 |
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| Ivonne Thein // incredible me Jan 22, 2010 - Feb 27, 2010 |
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| Frank Bauer // Jet Set Nov 27, 2009 - Jan 15, 2010 |
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| Michael Koch // forever more Oct 23, 2009 - Nov 21, 2009 |
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| Masaharu Sato // SIGNS Sepr 04, 2009 - Oct 17, 2009 |
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| Maria Friberg // way ahead Apr 24, 2009 - Jun 13, 2009 |
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| Claudia Rogge - The Opening Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
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| Claudia Rogge // Isolation ( aus: Segment 8 - die Blasen der Gesellschaft) Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
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| JoJo Tillmann // What you see is what you get Jan 30, 2009 - Feb 28, 2009 |
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| Sandra Ackermann // Die Wirklichkeit ist nicht die Wahrheit Nov 21, 2008 - Jan 24, 2009 |
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| Kate Waters - Getting used to the 21st Century Oct 10, 2008 - Nov 15, 2008 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki - Milky Ways Sepr 04, 2008 - Oct 04, 2008 |
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| Summer 2008 // Painting Aug 12, 2008 - Aug 30, 2008 |
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| Silke Rehberg: Stationen 1,4,6,7,11,12,13,14 Jun 13, 2008 - Jul 12, 2008 |
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| Maia Naveriani: At home with good ideas May 09, 2008 - Jun 07, 2008 |
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| Justin Richel: Rise and Fall Apr 04, 2008 - May 03, 2008 |
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| Davide La Rocca - Strange Object Feb 08, 2008 - Mar 28, 2008 |
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| Frank Bauer: AkikoAlinaAlinkaAndrew.... Nov 30, 2007 - Feb 02, 2008 |
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| Maria Friberg: Fallout Oct 12, 2007 - Nov 24, 2007 |
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| SUMMER '07 Jul 17, 2007 - Sepr 01, 2007 |
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| Kay Kaul - Wasserfarben Jun 15, 2007 - Jul 14, 2007 |
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| Sandra Ackermann - Point Blank Mar 02, 2007 - Apr 28, 2007 |
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| Tamara K.E.: pioneers -none of us and somewhere else Jan 19, 2007 - Feb 24, 2007 |
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| Till Freiwald Nov 17, 2006 - Jan 13, 2007 |
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| Claudia Rogge: U N I F O R M Sepr 01, 2006 - Nov 11, 2006 |
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| Kate Waters: Killing Time May 05, 2006 - Jun 17, 2006 |
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| Katia Bourdarel: The Flesh of Fairy Tales Mar 31, 2006 - Apr 29, 2006 |
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| Mihoko Ogaki Feb 10, 2006 - Mar 18, 2006 |
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| Silke Rehberg: RICOMINCIARE DAL CORPO Jan 27, 2006 - Feb 26, 2006 |
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| Sandra Ackermann Dec 08, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
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| Corrado Zeni Dec 04, 2005 - Jan 11, 2006 |
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| Frank Bauer Nov 18, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
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| AUFTAKT Sepr 02, 2005 - Oct 01, 2005 |
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| Claudia Rogge: Rapport Jun 17, 2005 - Jul 20, 2005 |
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| May 13, 2005 - Jun 11, 2005 |
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| Kate Waters: Solo-Exhibition in the Gallery Thomas Cohn, Sao Paulo Apr 16, 2005 - May 20, 2005 |
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| Vittorio Gui: FROZEN MOMENTS Apr 08, 2005 - May 07, 2005 |
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| Kay Kaul - ARTSCAPES Apr 03, 2005 - May 29, 2005 |
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| SEO Geheimnisvoller Blick Mar 04, 2005 - Apr 02, 2005 |
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| Claudia van Koolwijk at Museum Bochum Feb 26, 2005 - Apr 17, 2005 |
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| Corrado Zeni - Six Degrees of Separation Nov 26, 2004 - Jan 15, 2005 |
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| Maia Naveriani: What' s the difference between ME and YOU? Oct 15, 2004 - Nov 20, 2004 |
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| Tamara K.E.: MAD DONNA AND DONNA CORLEONE Sepr 03, 2004 - Oct 09, 2004 |
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| Davide La Rocca: Real Vision Reflex Jun 12, 2004 - Jul 17, 2004 |
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| Kay Kaul COLLECTORSCAPES Apr 23, 2004 - Jun 05, 2004 |