About
#3
The third edition of the group exhibition ‘Woman Portrait Gallery’ is coming up. Once again this year, we are inviting artists to contribute a portrait of a woman to the series. Analogue photography, painting, illustration, collage, and prints will come together as part of a large group work — a contemporary collection of women’s portraits.
The first two exhibitions were about diffusing and softening a heated debate on identity politics. By 2025 at the latest, it seems time to remind humanity — or at least the visitors of our exhibition — that no one is complete without their female qualities. At a time when many a man and many a woman have fallen out of their yin and yang, it is our collective attempt to recall feminine grace that also suits men and everyone else.
Gabriel Denaes
"Unshielded" - Vienna 2024
Agfa Agfamatic 2000, using 2021 LomoChrome Metropolis 110 ISO 100–400 film
Parallel to the trend of using AI to generate images, an increasing number of artists are deliberately embracing analogue technology. This creates a distinct aesthetic and places stronger emphasis on the artistic process itself—a development that may also apply to other areas of life and to contemporary art in particular. That is why this edition of the group show once again features an analogue photograph: UNSHIELDED by photographer and educator Gabriel Denaes. The story begins about twenty years ago, with the technical innovation of digital cameras that simplified photography. Soon after, the constant availability of cameras led to countless decent photos, which spread inflationarily across the internet. In this way, a new visual language emerged—together with a new type of photographer: the blogger or content creator, skilled at dancing with the algorithm. With the introduction of AI into image creation in the past two years, this development has taken another turn. Today, the reasons for taking a photograph at all—especially with all the hurdles of analogue photography in contrast to the simplicity of AI image generation—must be completely reconsidered. The fact that these supposed disadvantages of “handmade art” are increasingly becoming something artists consciously seek out is beautifully evident in Gabriel Denaes’ image. The technical error, caused by incorrectly inserted film, not only defines the final composition of the photograph but also confidently communicates that behind the image lies a process deliberately distancing itself from an automated visual culture.
Lydia Prien
"Studies In Line" - Berlin 2025
Colored Pencil on 190g/m²
In addition to the prints we are presenting in the group exhibition, we are also showing some originals. These works highlight the challenges and significance of a hand-painted picture. There is no way to digitally alter the work, and it is practical proof of genuine craftsmanship. Overall, these skills have already declined due to advancing computer technology, and the development of AI will likely mean that even fewer people will be willing to go the extra mile to perfect this art form. That is why the aesthetic and technical expertise of artist Lydia Prien is a great enrichment to our collection. Thank you for trusting us to exhibit your drawings and for reminding us how little time has passed since pictures were done only by hand. The changes that these developments will bring can only be guessed at this point. If things continue as they are, there might soon be very little demand for hand-painted pictures, for hand-made art. Just as there is now only a small market for hand-painted tableware. And if the incentive that comes with professionalization is missing, fewer and fewer people will devote themselves entirely to creating art. Lydia Prien gives us an answer to the question of what art production freed from economic principles might look like—she did not paint these pictures to sell them. The entire process, from the idea to the creation to the moment when the works are visible to the public at Kaffeemitte, is purely driven by intrinsic motivation. And that is perhaps what we can learn from artists like Lydia Prien: creating and exhibiting art creates joy and meaning! And in this race, AI will never be able to catch up with us.
Florian thiemann
"Attitude" - Berlin 2025
Acrylic paint on canvas
At a traffic light in Berlin-Schöneberg, artist Florian Thiemann noticed a woman standing on the opposite side of the street and he took a quick photo with his phone. That moment became the starting point for his painting „Attitude“. The work in our show was made shortly after Florian Thiemann moved to Berlin. The encounter with the woman – a stranger – stayed with him. Her quiet confidence, something about her posture, her presence – calm, self-contained, beautifully unaffected. Florian studied Fine Arts in Cologne. He developed his technique and visual language by translating spatial constructions and three-dimensional space into paintings. After digitally reducing and editing the original photo, Florian prints it at scale. Then he begins applying paint in layers – masking shapes, building color fields, letting the image slowly emerge. A painting like this can take the artist weeks, sometimes months. It becomes a form of prolonged reflection: not just on what he saw, but on what the image means to him. His subjects changed over time: today, he applies the same technique to people and lively sceneries. What remains is his process – slow, precise, manual. Over the past five months in Berlin, he has completed four such portraits. One is still in progress. All are based on real moments, captured in the flow of urban life. This portrait is part of the Woman Portrait Gallery – a group exhibition dedicated to contemporary representations of women. And while sovereignty is not tied to gender, this particular image is inspired by a woman whose strength felt deeply earned. Sovereignty, as Florian sees it, isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something that grows – through experience, through time, through living. It’s not a loud quality, but a grounded one. And perhaps, it’s one of the few things in life that can’t be rushed. Sometimes, it belongs to age more than youth.
Tony Federico
"Backstage Jill Sander" - Milano 1999
Polaroid i-Type 600
What seems to make Polaroids a compelling choice of medium is the unique kind of trust they create with the person portrayed. Because there is only one copy, the image can be seen immediately—and if it isn’t liked, it can be made to disappear for good. That is the complete opposite of the digital image, which can never truly be erased. This uniqueness connects the two Polaroids on view in our exhibition—made nearly 30 years apart by Tony Federico and his daughter Altea Federico. Together, the two works combine into a concept about continuity, trust, and how this way of working has passed from one generation to the next. Tony Federico once captured backstage moments at prêt-à-porter fashion shows in Milan with Polaroids, and today his daughter Althea continues the same practice with images from Berlin’s club culture.
Altea Federico
"Super Sonia" - Berlin 2024
Polaroid Xs70
What seems to make Polaroids a compelling choice of medium is the unique kind of trust they create with the person portrayed. Because there is only one copy, the image can be seen immediately—and if it isn’t liked, it can be made to disappear for good. That is the complete opposite of the digital image, which can never truly be erased. This uniqueness connects the two Polaroids on view in our exhibition—made nearly 30 years apart by Tony Federico and his daughter Altea Federico. Together, the two works combine into a concept about continuity, trust, and how this way of working has passed from one generation to the next. Tony Federico once captured backstage moments at prêt-à-porter fashion shows in Milan with Polaroids, and today his daughter Althea continues the same practice with images from Berlin’s club culture.
BOTTICCHIO
"The High Priestess" - Berlin 2018
Acrylic paint on canvas
For more than 30 years, Botticchio has worked in the world of high fashion, representing international brands in the showrooms of Milan and Paris. She describes her role as similar to that of a gallerist: presenting bold, sometimes challenging creations to buyers who select exclusive pieces for their stores worldwide. Painting, however, has been part of her life for even longer – a practice she began in childhood, which continues to be her personal space for creation. Like many artists, Botticchio moves between two realms: the free expression of ideas and the necessity of making a living. After decades in the business, the artist seems to have mastered this skill – mirrored in the pair of paintings she presents in the group show: The High Priestess, in this case depicted wearing a dress by Chitose Abe, is a motif from the tarot. This card represents equilibrium – the High Priestess sits between two pillars, symbolizing the harmony of opposites: light and dark, conscious and unconscious, masculine and feminine. It may also be read as the tension between the desire to be a free artist and the reality of earning an income.
MICHAEL JOSEPH
"Raskull" - Cambridge, MA 2018
Photography
Michael Joseph is an acclaimed portrait photographer, known for his black-and-white street portraits. The shot „Raskull“ is from the Lost&Found series published by Kehrer Verlag in 2023 (link in story). For the series, Michael Joseph documents a contemporary American subculture – people moving across the country by hitchhiking and hopping freight trains. He portrays a generation that, for various reasons, has stepped out of mainstream culture or never had access to it – instead living a nomadic life on the road. The portraits are raw and direct, capturing bruises, dirt, and scars – authenticity grounded in trust between photographer and subject. For many years, Michael Joseph followed these travelers, spending time with them and staying in touch over time to trace the course of their lives. Out of many encounters and fragments, he has created an authentic and layered portrait of this overlooked community. Having „Raskull“ as part of our group show is an important addition. The image stands as an example of Michael Joseph’s approach: not only to portray people, but to share in their journeys and make their reality visible. Beyond its artistic qualities, his photography is about testimony and credibility. And in an age when images can be endlessly manipulated – or even generated entirely synthetically – documentary photography retains its relevance. The knowledge that a photograph is unaltered gives it a gravity that goes beyond aesthetic interest. Michael Joseph’s work reminds us that photography, in its original power—as evidence of what truly existed—remains significant. To create such an image, patience and empathy are essential. It is about building genuine human relationships. It is about trust in the process and trust in others. Thus, it is not only the viewers who can learn something. The artist develops and builds skills that are fundamental for a harmonious coexistence and an open and balanced society.
Lubomír Fiala
"Waldvilla" - Vlkov, Czechia 2020
Wax tempera
For the third edition of the „Woman Portrait Gallery“ at Kaffeemitte, I sought an artist from another generation to contribute a female portrait. This led me to Lubomír Fiala, born in 1949 in Plzeň. In the context of the group show, I was interested in Fiala’s perspective as an experienced craftsman and professional carpenter — as well as his choice of materials for painting. Fiala works with wax tempera, a traditional technique in which pigments are mixed with wax and water to create a naturally luminous and durable surface. From this starting point—the rare wax tempera technique and Fiala’s artistic background—I began to consider a possible connection between the materials he uses and the motifs in his paintings. His works often feature animals, plants, and recurring motifs such as trees in the wind, roosters, or monkeys. In the piece proposed for the exhibition, a female figure seamlessly blends into an organic world, intertwined with leaves, branches, and animals, as if part of a natural puzzle. And so, Fiala’s work reminds me of concepts like „Mother Nature“ or „Pachamama“. While these qualities aren’t exclusive to mothers, they are archetypically associated with them: the nurturing, elemental presence of nature itself. This work, therefore, conveys the awareness that we all, regardless of gender, are part of nature.
Matus Toth
"Dolce Vita" - Prag 2021
Digital photo / no AI
I first saw Matus Toth’s AI project Tinbrain in 2023 and we met in person in his hometown of Prague, where I interviewed him, as he was one of the first artists to embrace generative AI technology from its early days. Coming from a background as an established fashion and editorial photographer, his involvement went beyond mere experimentation. These were my first conversations about AI, creativity and the consequences this disruptive technology might have for humanity. As a result of these conversations, we organized the first exhibition at Kaffeemitte dedicated entirely to AI-generated imagery. At that time people asked us: “Is this Photoshop?” For this show, the third edition of the „Woman Portrait Gallery“, I invited him to show a classic photograph instead of an AI-generated piece. Here one can recognize a fascinating phenomenon: the feedback loop between technology, tools, and the artistic process. Matus Toth’s experience working with AI seems to echo back into his staged and editorial work. And people ask, “Is this AI?”—but it isn’t. Instead, his images show how a sense of surrealism has entered contemporary art, as if reflecting the contradictions and uncertainties of our time. Could surrealism be becoming a response to these conditions? Back then, we agreed: “Surrealism has left the museum.”Unfortunately, it remains very much alive in politics and the media today.
Darren cullen
"Never Work" - London 2024
Risograph print on cartridge paper. Blue soy-based ink
The British artist Darren Cullen (Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives) is known for his sharp, satirical works that mock some of the most powerful institutions of our time. His projects have taken on the oil giant Shell, exposed the realities of military recruitment, and questioned the ideology of constant growth and neoliberalism. Darren Cullen’s work has been exhibited at Banksy’s Dismaland and acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum for its permanent collection in London. I’ve admired his work for many years—not only for its aesthetic and conceptual strength, but for the enduring courage behind it. In a cultural landscape where artists often avoid confrontation, he consistently pushes against authority with a clear moral compass. The piece „Never Work“ embodies this approach: using the familiar, conservative imagery of mid-20th-century advertising—idealized femininity, tidy hair, a TV set—the artist turns the message on its head. Instead of affirming productivity, efficiency, and consumption, his statement subverts them with humor. I’m proud to include this image in the show, as it reminds us of something funny: that art can still be, even today, political and satirical.
The long-term appeal of this exhibition is the range of styles that the artists have contributed over the years. This is the third edition of this show and so far 50 works have been put together. From different places, with different techniques and artistic handwriting.
Many thanks to the artists who have supported the project since 2023!