Herbert W. Franke: Illuminating the Invisible

The König Galerie in Berlin is presenting a solo exhibition of the late science fiction author, computer art pioneer and universal genius Herbert W. Franke.

– Herbert W. Franke, Color series (detail), 1962

Herbert W. Franke (1927-2022), who was born in Vienna and studied physics there, had a significant influence on literature, art and science. As an artist, he began with experimental photography in the early 1950s and later focussed on computer-generated works of art. Illuminating the Invisible is dedicated exclusively to Franke's artistic oeuvre and shows a curated selection of his most important works based on his periods of activity: Generative Photography, Computer Systems, Math Art and PC Works.

The exhibition in the Kreuzberg branch of Johann König is a tribute to Franke's interdisciplinary approach. His work is based equally on the rationality of the researcher and the creativity of the artist, which are ideally combined in his person. Aesthetic innovation was far more important to Franke than considerations of traditional notions of artistic beauty. As early as 1953, Franke used the photo camera in a completely new way to capture forms and structures that exist in our world but remain "invisible" to the human eye, i.e. can only be discovered with the help of technical aids. By using scientific devices such as X-ray machines, microscopes or oscilloscopes, Franke turned away from the traditional use of the camera as an imaging device for the visible. With his photographic artworks, Franke wanted to reveal not only the fascinating, but also the invisible structures in nature, celebrating the hidden beauty of mathematics and algorithms.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm

Runtime: Fri, 05/07/2024 to Sun, 01/09/2024

Takes place here:

• König Galerie