When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition runs from 22.09.2026 to 08.11.2026 at the Mannheim Kunstverein.

What is the entrance fee?

The regular entry fee is 5 Euro. A reduced price for visitors is 3 Euro.

Are there guided tours?

Yes, tours of the exhibition are announced. Special conditions and prior registration by email apply for guided tours.

Is photography allowed?

For private purposes, photography and filming are generally allowed as long as no wall text states otherwise. Flash, tripods, and similar tools are not permitted.

What are the opening hours?

Closed on Mondays. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12 to 17 hours, with additional hours on Wednesdays from 14 to 19 hours.

Is the Mannheim Kunstverein accessible for everyone?

According to regional visitor information, the Kunstverein is accessible to all, but not fully barrier-free.

Encounter of the Species

Name: Hartmut Kiewert - Encounter of the Species
Start: 2026-09-22T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-11-08T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Mannheimer Kunstverein e.V.

Hartmut Kiewert at the Mannheim Kunstverein: When Painting Becomes a Space for Thought

With Encounter of the Species, the Mannheim Kunstverein opens an exhibition space for one of the most compelling positions in contemporary figurative painting. Hartmut Kiewert combines precise imagery with ethical clarity and creates an art experience that intertwines perception, responsibility, and aesthetic experience.

Figurative Painting with Philosophical Tension

Kiewert's works address the relationship between humans and animals not as a marginal theme, but as a central cultural motif. His painting develops a quiet intensity from calm composition, controlled color, and precisely set perspective. Figures, spaces, and light zones appear like carefully balanced image orders, revealing closeness, vulnerability, and coexistence.

Between Utopia and Reality

The exhibition leads into pictorial worlds that go beyond mere depiction. Kiewert creates counter-images to exploitation and displacement and opens up conceptual frameworks for nonviolent coexistence. It is precisely in this that the special power of his art lies: it remains figurative, but never illustrative; it is political without being trivially agitative. Thus, a viewing of the works emerges that is readable both art-historically and sociologically.

An Artist with a Clear Stance

Hartmut Kiewert, born in 1980 in Koblenz, studied painting and graphics at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle from 2003 to 2010 and graduated with honors. For years, his work has focused on human-animal relationships, vegan imagery, and the question of how empathy can become visible in painting. This consistency gives his oeuvre the authority of a position that has grown from artistic practice, research, and reflection.

The Mannheim Kunstverein as a Resonance Space

The Mannheim Kunstverein provides the suitable framework for this exhibition with its tradition-rich exhibition culture. The clear architecture, calm presentation, and focus on contemporary art create the exhibition atmosphere in which Kiewert's images resonate particularly intensely. Here, curation meets cultural education, and visitors experience art as a precise space for thought.

Education, Tours, and Sharpening Perspectives

Accompanying tours are part of the exhibition, sharpening the eye for composition, motifs, and art-historical connections. Those interested in figurative painting, art education, and current ethical debates will find a sensory and intellectual offering here. Kiewert's work invites viewers to examine their habits of seeing and to understand image analysis as a vibrant experience.

Conclusion: Encounter of the Species is an exhibition for all who want to not just see contemporary painting but also experience it intellectually and sensually. In Mannheim, a distinctive artistic handwriting meets a theme of great contemporary relevance. A visit is highly recommended.