"Zeitgeist" – The Spirit of Times – Overcoming Fear and Flying with Confidence

We live in a time when the ground beneath our feet feels unsteady. Democracy seems to be retreating, while we lose ourselves in confusion and entanglement. Fear often sits as a silent passenger in our thoughts – and yet, we must keep flying.

The exhibition “Zeitgeist – Flying with Confidence and Overcoming Fear” invites you to experience precisely this tension. Artists Jürgen Heinz and Karen Shahverdyan present works that inspire courage when orientation feels lost.

The Moving Sculptures of Jürgen Heinz and the Hyperrealism in Oil of Karen Shahverdyan are not an escape, but a call for steadfastness – a reminder that movement and inner clarity remain possible, even in the midst of a storm.

We look forward to your visit.

Petra Kern & Sirin Gerlach

Our contribution: “War and Peace – 3 Positions”

In times of global upheaval, artists take a stand. They show attitude, reflect societal change, offer critique, give courage, and invite reflection. Art can and should interfere – compelling viewers to position themselves as well.

The Petra Kern Gallery presents three distinctive artistic voices:

• BUJA – Icons Reconsidered
  The painter and street artist from Speyer reworks icons of art, media, and everyday culture by twisting them into puzzling and absurd new constellations. Familiar images shift, unravel, and take on unexpected meaning. With a mix of irony and pathos, BUJA elevates the banal to art – driven by an existential search for beauty and goodness, always layered with hidden depths.

• JANA & JS – Between Cityscape and Humanity
  The Austrian-French duo has been collaborating since 2006, merging urban landscapes and architectural details with portraits. Their stencil-based works respond directly to their surroundings, increasingly infused with nostalgia and melancholy. Using weathered materials and unexpected locations – from railway tracks to concrete fragments – they weave emotions, desires, and human fragility into environments, creating intimate spaces for dialogue.

• JOANNA JESSE – Painting as a Space of Memory
  Based in Solingen, Joanna Jesse captures scenes of remembered childhood. With luminous colors and delicate plays of light and shadow, she evokes longing for nature, stillness, and time regained. In an era overshadowed by crises, her paintings provide warmth, grounding, and solace. Art that soothes the soul – perhaps more necessary now than ever. 

"We’re off for a little while..."

Since March 13, 2025, I have had the great pleasure of serving as Chair of the Kunst Heidelberg e.V. association.
Kunst Heidelberg e.V. is a network of the city’s most prominent art institutions and galleries.
Together, we have been committed for many years to increasing the visibility and support of visual arts in Heidelberg.

One of the highlights of our work is the annual Kunstsonntag (Art Sunday), to which we warmly invite you again this year:
On July 20, 2025, from 12 PM to 6 PM, art in all its diversity will be on display throughout Heidelberg and the surrounding area.

A total of 13 member institutions are taking part. You can find the full program via the QR code on the first image, or directly on our website: www.kunstheidelberg.de, under “News & Projects”.

At 2 PM, we will be screening our film Foundationstones – a heartfelt project with my artists that I remember with deep fondness.
During a time marked by lockdowns, uncertainty, and isolation, more than 20 artists and the gallery director came together – both virtually and in person, with distancing.
We created space for creativity – but above all, we experienced a sense of closeness and community.
It was a time when hope and confidence emerged – through the power of art and an incredible spirit of togetherness.

At 3 PM and 5 PM, we offer guided tours through the current exhibition “If Not Now, When?”

This exhibition is once again the result of a powerful artistic exchange among more than 20 artists, each interpreting the theme “If Not Now, When?” in their own unique way.
The works reflect personal perspectives, questions, and attitudes – and visitors will no doubt find their own thoughts, wishes, and experiences echoed in this challenging time.

We are very much looking forward to your visit!
Warm regards,
Petra Kern & Sirin Gerlach

Warm invitation to our upcoming exhibition: WENN NICHT JETZT, WANN DANN? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Opening reception on June 26, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM — the exhibition runs until July 26, 2025.

In a time full of upheavals and new possibilities, we are asking a question that couldn't be more relevant: "If not now, when?"

Artists from the Petra Kern Gallery explore this question in our group exhibition in personal and diverse ways. Each contribution offers new perspectives and invites you to pause, reflect, and recognize. We look forward to exciting, surprising, and touching interpretations—and to your visit!

We are showcasing works by BUJA, Jürgen Heinz, Jana & JS, Joanna Jesse, Jörg Kraus, Nadine Liesse, Markus Magenheim, Svetlana Magenheim-Gegg, Esther Miranda, Johannes Nawrath, Claudia Pense, Jesús Miguel Rodriguez de la Torre, Conrad Sevens, Karen Shahverdyan, Undine Siepker, Seona Sommer, Bernhard Vogel, Stefanie Welk, and Hilla Wolf-Wagner.

Curious about the meaning behind each artwork? Be sure to come to the opening reception, where you'll find the answers.

Warm regards,
Petra Kern & Sirin Gerlach

For the seventh year in a row, we're back with our exhibition "ZUSAMMEN" with "Vergolderei Thomas Müller" in Kelkheim.

The opening will take place on March 28, 2025, in Kelkheim, Bahnstrasse 25.

We, Thomas Müller and Petra Kern, look forward to welcoming you that evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The exhibition runs until May 24 and can be viewed during the opening hours of the "Vergolderei":

Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Petra Kern Gallery is once again visiting Vergolderei Thomas Müller with highlights from her gallery program and new works by the featured artists. Every year, we look forward to our joint appearance, because together we can achieve more and reach more art enthusiasts. Let your soul be soothed and treat yourself to a visit to the art world. We look forward to seeing you!

The participating artists: BUJA, Dayron Gonzalez, Jürgen Heinz, Jana & JS, Joanna Jesse, Markus Magenheim, Svetlana Magenheim-Gegg, Esther Miranda, Johannes Nawrath, Claudia Pense, Jesus Miguel Rodriguez de la Torre, Conrad Sevens, Karen Shahverdyan, Bernhard Vogel, and Stefanie Welk.

Best regards, Petra Kern