Meeting of the Species at the Mannheim Art Association: Art for a shared future
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A shared future for humans and animals
With Meeting of the Species, the Mannheim Art Association presents a solo exhibition by the Leipzig painter Hartmut Kiewert. Contemporary figurative painting directs attention to the societal relationship between humans and animals and opens up an aesthetic experience beyond familiar hierarchies.
Figurative painting as an alternative to anthropocentric perspectives
Hartmut Kiewert, born in Koblenz in 1980, initially studied architecture and subsequently painting and graphic design at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. He completed his diploma in 2010 with honors. For many years, the freelance artist has devoted himself to the human-animal relationship and has developed an independent visual language that reflects societal issues, empathy, and quiet observation.
The exhibition gathers works in which animals do not appear as decorative props or mere utility beings, but as individual, sensitive living creatures. Kiewert's painting thus questions the anthropocentric order and demands a new form of viewing artworks: attentive, decelerated, and open to different perspectives.
Calm visual spaces, intense encounters
Kiewert's figurative compositions often appear clearly structured and marked by a concentrated calm. Humans and animals meet in pictorial spaces that radiate both familiarity and strangeness. The painting does not generate a dramatic narrative but lets its effect arise from careful observation.
It is precisely this restraint that gives the exhibition its special atmosphere. Colors, postures, and spatial relationships direct attention to the question of how coexistence can be shaped. The aesthetic experience is linked to cultural education: art becomes a space for thought regarding responsibility, care, and the shared living environment of different species.
Art historical classification and societal stance
As a contemporary position in figurative painting, Hartmut Kiewert combines precise observation with a critical perspective on power. His works stand in the context of current art that explores ecological questions, animal ethics, and the relationship between nature and society. In doing so, the artist relies on the sensual power of the image rather than a purely illustrative message.
Kiewert's works have been exhibited, among others, in the Museum of Modern Art Bremen, the Kunstmuseum Heidenheim, the Germanic National Museum Nuremberg, at the Ostrale Biennale Dresden, and at Art Karlsruhe. In 2026, a catalog accompanying the Mannheim exhibition will be published, featuring a text by Prof. Dr. Jessica Ullrich and a foreword by Dr. Friedrich W. Kasten.
Supporting program and in-depth discussions
A special program point is the discussion Picnic and Protest with Hartmut Kiewert and animal ethicist Hilal Sezgin on September 16, 2026. The event deepens the questions raised in the exhibition regarding animal images, societal responsibility, and a new human-animal relationship.
Conclusion: An art experience with lasting impact
Meeting of the Species welcomes visitors as a concentrated encounter with contemporary painting, ethical reflection, and a compelling visual world. Those who wish to experience art as an aesthetic experience and societal space for thought should definitely visit this exhibition live at the Mannheim Art Association.
Official channels of Hartmut Kiewert:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: https://hartmutkiewert.de/
