außer der reihe
08. March 2021 - 14. March 2021
Thomas Kahl, the unknown Explorer

Thomas Kahl: Bread for Ruanda
Thomas Kahl: Bread for Ruanda
Martina Strilic/Galerie Tobias Schrade
He became known as the ‘bread painter’. But Thomas Kahl, who died much too young in 2017, was so much more than that. The exhibition we opened in early March 2020 in cooperation with Galerie Tobias Schrade made that very obvious. After just one week however, corona forced us to close it down again. Project manager Raimund Kast took to Facebook to present many of Kahl’s works, but a virtual tour can not adequately replace the real-life encounter with art. Which is why the Stadthaus has rearranged its exhibition schedule for the fall of 2020 and will present the show again from autum 2020 - planed 1 December - until the beginning of 2021.
A blue Bread of Thomas Kahl in Mariposa, Teneriffa. Photo: Raimund Kast
Thomas Kahl: PAN, Kulturpark Mariposa, Teneriffa (1994/95)
© Raimund Kast

Kahl created humorous and rebellious forums for ironic interaction with the traditional art business. The self-taught artist was more than just a creative maverick, he did a lot of research but rarely offered an explanation for his works. He was constantly looking for material to turn into paintings, collages, works on paper or dioramas.

Kahl was also a musician and curated events; he organised pop, indie and hip-hop concerts at Kradhalle, created opportunities for other artists. While all the other Kradhalle-artists moved to Berlin over the years, Kahl stayed in Ulm.

Thomas Kahl schuf ebenso unernste wie aufsässige Foren ironischen Umgangs mit dem herrschenden Kunstbetrieb. Er hielt, wie es der frühere Stadthausleiter Elmar Zorn einmal ausdrückte, „den Stachel der Nichtangepasstheit über die Jahre gezückt“.

Der Autodidakt Kahl war weit mehr als nur ein kreativer Querkopf: Er war ein Künstler, der viel las und recherchierte; doch eine Erklärung zu seinen Bilder lieferte er fast nie. Und er war ständig auf der Suche nach Dingen, aus denen Gemälde, Collagen, Papierarbeiten oder Dioramen entstehen konnten.

Thomas Kahl war auch Musiker und Veranstalter. Er organisierte Pop-, Indie- und Hiphop-Konzerte in der Kradhalle, schuf kreative Freiräume für andere. Während die anderen Kradhallen-Künstler im Laufe der Jahre nach Berlin abwanderten, blieb Kahl Ulm bis zuletzt treu.

"Die große Kumpanei" Brotmaschinen-Installation von Thomas Kahl
Thomas Kahl: Die große Kumpanei
© Martina Strillic/Galerie Tobias Schrade

The Stadthaus, in cooperation with Galerie Tobias Schrade, is presenting a Thomas Kahl retrospective, showing paintings, objects and installations from different times in his career.

Galerie Tobias Schrade is publishing an accompanying catalogue:
Thomas Kahl - Der unbekannte Forscher.

 

Szenerie mit Tod in einer Gaststube
Thomas Kahl: Totentanz
© Martina Strilic

Projectmanagement: Dr. Raimund Kast

 

 

 

TIPP:

Zu allem entschlossen. Das Stadthaus macht eine Ausstellung
Nik Schölzel

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