Janus Hochgesand
WORKS // INFO // BIOGRAPHY // EXHIBITIONS
WORKS
Janus Hochgesand | o. T. | 2023 | Öl und Pigment auf Leinwand | 52 x 41 cm
Janus Hochgesand | o. T. | 2024 | Öl und Pigment auf Leinwand | 52 x 41 cm
Janus Hochgesand | o. T. | 2026 | Öl und Pigment auf Leinwand | 52 x 41 cm
Janus Hochgesand | o. T. | 2025 | Öl und Pigment auf Leinwand | 52 x 41 cm
ARTIST Info
Janus Hochgesand
Janus Hochgesand (born 1981 in Dierdorf) lives and works in Hamburg. At the heart of his artistic practice is painting as a direct and immediate engagement with colour, material and movement. His abstract works emerge from an open-ended, experimental process in which physical action and painterly decision-making are closely intertwined. Rather than treating the image as the realisation of a preconceived idea, Hochgesand approaches it as the outcome of a dynamic process that unfolds and takes shape in the act of painting itself.
A defining feature of Hochgesand’s painting is his deliberate rejection of conventional painting tools. Instead, he works with his hands and feet, as well as a range of implements, to apply and manipulate paint and pigments on the picture surface. Through wiping, rubbing, shifting and layering, he creates complex surfaces that bear traces of the successive stages of the working process. The canvas becomes a site of physical engagement, where the properties of the material and the artist’s movements continually influence one another.
In these works, colour serves a dual purpose: it structures the image while asserting its own material presence. Dense, impasto passages sit alongside finer, more translucent areas; bold applications of colour meet more restrained zones, generating varying degrees of intensity within a composition. At times, the surfaces appear immediate and almost tactile, while simultaneously opening up richly layered visual spaces. As the viewer’s position and the duration of looking change, so too do the relationships between individual fields of colour, preventing the image from being reduced to a single visual impression.
Hochgesand’s abstract visual language is shaped by an intensive exploration of the possibilities of modern painting. Expressive gestural mark-making, free composition and the investigation of materiality are key points of reference in his work. Yet these influences are not adopted as a fixed repertoire of forms; rather, they are re-examined and reconfigured through his own artistic process. Hochgesand is interested in the tension between deliberate intervention and an open-ended process, between intentional decisions and unpredictable outcomes. It is precisely through this interplay that his paintings develop their distinctive sense of tension.
Time also plays a central role in Hochgesand’s artistic practice. For him, the making of a painting is not merely a means to an end, but an integral part of the work itself. Through performative formats, he makes this process tangible for an audience, expanding painting to encompass temporal and acoustic dimensions. His collaborations with musicians create a dialogue between visual and musical structures, bringing different forms of artistic expression into direct encounter.
Janus Hochgesand studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe under Professor Andreas Slominski from 2002 to 2004, before continuing his studies at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main under Professor Tobias Rehberger from 2005 to 2009. He completed his studies there in 2009 as a master student.
In his paintings, Janus Hochgesand explores how distinct pictorial structures emerge from physical movement, material transformation and the interplay of colour. His practice combines the immediacy of physical action with a nuanced visual experience. His works invite viewers to perceive the surface not simply as a self-contained composition, but as the outcome of a complex, multilayered process. A process in which chance, intention and the specific properties of the material continually interact and redefine one another.
BIOGRAPHY
1981
Born in Dierdorf, Germany
2002 – 2004
State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe (Prof. Andreas Slominski)
2005
La Esmeralda, National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking (Prof. Sofía Taboas), Mexico City
2005
Baden-Württemberg Travel Grant for study at La Esmeralda, Mexico City, Mexico
2005 – 2009
Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main (Prof. Tobias Rehberger)
2008
Agricultural Pension Fund Award, Frankfurt am Main
2009
Diploma from the Städelschule; graduated as a master student under Prof. Tobias Rehberger
Teaching position at Fischbek-Falkenberg School, Hamburg
Städelschule Graduate Award, Frankfurt am Main
2010
Artist Grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds e. V., Bonn
2010
Artist Grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds e. V., Bonn
2011
Rhineland-Palatinate Grant, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris
2018
Hamburg Travel Grant for the Burkhard Vernunft Residency, Torria, Italy
2021
Hamburg Future Grant, Hamburg Cultural Foundation
PArt Grant, René Spiegelberger Foundation, Hamburg
Rhineland-Palatinate Book Funding Programme
2022
Funding from the Cultural Foundation of Rhineland-Palatinate
Neustart Kultur Grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds e. V., Bonn
2023
Hamburg New Positions Art Prize, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
2025
First Recognition Award for Art in Architecture, Speyer
EXHIBITIONS
2020er
2026
House of Galleries, Kunsthandel Hagemeier, Frankfurt am Main
New years reception, The Space, Hamburg
artKARLSRUHE, Kunsthandel Hagemeier, Karlsruhe
Abstrakt, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
ART COLOGNE PALMA MALLORCA, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Palma de Mallorca
Personal structures, European Cultural Centre Italy, Venedig
Dissonanzen des Lichts, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld
ARTE SANTANDER 2026, dst.galerie, Santander
Interlude, Maison de Rhénanie Palatinat, Dijon
Beige, Lycra Raum, Hamburg
Live Painting, European Cultural Centre Italy, Venedig
Into the color, Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Berlin
2025
ART COLOGNE, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Köln
artKARLSRUHE, dst.galerie, Karlsruhe
Hochgesand meets Lübertz and Balkenhol, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld
ART OFF, Barlach Halle K, Hamburg
Sprezzatura, Künstlerhaus Bergedorf, Hamburg
NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, Galerie Herold, Sylt
ALIVE, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
Eine halbe Kirche Blumen, MTGAIA, Hallein/Salzburg
NEW&COMING, Kunstverein Reutlingen
ARTE SANTANDER 2025, dst.galerie, Santander
Sammlerstelle, dst.galerie, Münster
HIGHLIGHTS – Internationale Kunstmesse München, Galerie Herold, München
2024
There is a crack in everything, thatˋs how the light gets in, dst.galerie, Münster
Frühlings-Symphonie Zeitgenössischer Kunst, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld
EVERYONE BUT CASPAR!, Kunsthalle Niendorf, Hamburg
Abstract bleue, Institut français Mainz
artKARLSRUHE, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Karlsruhe
artKARLSRUHE, dst.galerie, Karlsruhe
Forestival, Lahnstein
ART COLOGNE, Galerie Samuelis Baumgarte, Köln
Janus Hochgesand, Tempowerk, Hamburg
Ich lasse gerne einen breiten Rand an meinem Leben, dst.galerie, Münster
Live Painting en Coleurs, Institut français Mainz
2023
Classic meets Contemporary, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
Pink, Lycraraum, Hamburg
Artist in Residence II. Sylt, Galerie Herold, Sylt
artKARLSRUHE, dst.galerie, Karlsruhe
artKARLSRUHE, Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Karlsruhe
Meister der Farben, Galerie Herold, Sylt
Von Gesten und Warheiten im Jetzt, dst.galerie, Münster
40 Jahre Emsdettener Kunstverein, Emsdetten
Ich lasse gerne einen breiten Rand an meinem Leben, dst.galerie, Münster
Neue Welten. Live Painting feat. Amor und Psyche, Moselmusikfestival, Trier
Atmosphere is my style, Galerie Hagemeier, Frankfurt/Main
Inspiration by experimentation, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hamburg
Kunst verbindet … Farbe mit Fantasie, Tempowerk, Hamburg
ART COLOGNE, Galerie Samuelis Baumgarte, Köln
Something Old Something New, Galerie with tsjalling, Groningen, Niederlande
Same Same – but diffrent, dst.galerie, Münster
2022
Young Ones, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
Winninger Kunsttage, Winningen
Performance: Livepainting feat. Wittgenstein, Winningen
Material im Raum II, Schloss Agathenburg
Performance: Livepainting feat. Amor & Psyche feat. César Franck, Schloss Agathenburg
artKarlsruhe One Artist Show, dst.galerie, Karlsruhe
artKarlsruhe, Kunsthandel Hagemeier, Karlsruhe
Gräfe und Hochgesand – 17 años déspues, Frise, Hamburg
I thought I was an alien, Polarraum, Hamburg
SAME SAME – but different, dst.galerie, Münster
Ich Schreib Dir Von Zu Hause, Raumprogramm, Münster
2021
Muy mucho, Ludwig Museum Koblenz
Performance: Livepainting feat. Kammermusik, Ludwig Museum Koblenz
Ich schreib Dir von zu Hause, Baustelle Schaustelle, Düsseldorf
Ich schreib Dir von zu Hause, Superraum, Dortmund
Ich lasse gerne einen breiten Rand an meinem Leben, dst.galerie, Münster
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Kunsthandel Hagemeier, Frankfurt/Main
High intensity, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
It takes all you have, dst.galerie, Münster
Three Rooms, Galerie Herold, Hamburg
2020
Beyond sensations, Mom Artspace, Hamburg
Unknown pleasures, Polarraum, Hamburg
same same – but different, dst.galerie, Münster
My only audience silence, Galerie with Tsjalling, Groningen
Ich schreib Dir von zu Hause, dst.galerie, Münster
Never stop exploring, Westwerk, Hamburg
Clash, Polarraum, Hamburg
Art & Antik Messe, Münster
Zufall, Xpon-art, Hamburg
Isolation, Polarraum, Hamburg
2010er
2019
Nichiteanu Trio & Janus Hochgesand: Livepainting feat Kammermusik, Künstlerhaus Hamburg-Bergedorf
The unfinished dance, dst.galerie, Münster
High intensity painting, Emsdettener Kunstverein, Emsdetten
Ich lasse gerne einen breiten Rand an meinem Leben, dst.galerie, Münster
25 Jahre Künstlerhaus Hamburg Bergedorf, Künstlerhaus Bergedorf, Hamburg
You need a passion, dst.galerie, Münster
Contrary connected, Azaro Art Spaces, Hamburg
Freistil, Hamburger Rathaus, Hamburg
Farbe und Struktur, V8 Plattform für neue Kunst, Karlsruhe
Meeting, Galerie Carolyn Heinz, Hamburg
Interaction of color, Künstlerhaus Sootbörn, Hamburg
Auktion #9, Millerntor Gallery, Hamburg
Millerntor Gallery, AAF Hamburg
2018
Die ersten zehn Jahre, dst.galerie, Münster
salondergegenwart, Hamburg
Ich lasse gerne einen breiten Rand an meinem Leben, Dst. Galerie, Münster
Urban fragments and some colours, Künstlerhaus Bergedorf, Hamburg
2017
The unfinished dance, dst.galerie, Münster
Smash hits, Hollstein von Müller Galerie, Hamburg
171 Jahre Kunst in Hamburg, Affenfaust, Hamburg
POSITIONS, Hollstein von Müller Galerie, Berlin
Same same – but different, dst.galerie, Münster
2016
Feelings are facts, Galerie 7 Türen, Hamburg
Tasty donut, Salon 58, Gießen
Crush on you, Galerie 7 Türen, Hamburg
Hold your own, Künstlerhaus Bergedorf, Hamburg
15, la Esmeralda, Mexico City
Cheek to cheek, Galerie 7 Türen, Hamburg
Grenzgänger, AAF Hamburg
2015
Vom Großen und Ganzen / Die Sammlung Haus N / Teil 1, Gerisch-Stiftung, Neumünster
Der höchste Berg der Welt, dst.galerie, Münster
P/ART, Kraftwerk Bille, Hamburg
Bagatelle, dst.galerie, Münster
2014
Junge Rheinland-Pfälzer KünstlerInnen Emy-Röder-Preis, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen
8. Bremer Kunstfrühling, Güterbahnhof, Bremen
Influence me, Couloir, Hamburg
2013
BewerberInnen für die Hamburger Arbeitsstipendien, Kunsthaus Hamburg
Cuxilata, Galerie Diane Kruse, Hamburg
Harmony lessons, dst.galerie, Münster
Bis zur maximalen Dunkelheit tiefer Nacht, Quartierskünstler-Atelier, Hamburg
ARCO MADRID, Galerie Diane Kruse, Madrid
Do you read me, Galerie Diane Kruse, Hamburg
2012
Km 500 5, Kunsthalle Mainz, Mainz
Eidos, Galerie Diane Kruse, Hamburg
Art rocket 2, Städtische Galerie Pforzheim, Pforzheim
2011
Korrespondenzen, Galerie Bäckerstr. 4, Wien
2010
New Frankfurt Internationals, Frankfurter Kunstverein & MMK, Frankfurt/Main
Heaven can wait, Galerie Tinderbox, Hamburg
ART COLOGNE 44, Galerie Fiebach-Minninger, Köln
Offenbacher Telemark, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg
Biennale Mulhouse 010, Mulhouse
Kabul Mauritius, Scotty Enterprises, Berlin
2000er
2009
ART FORUM BERLIN, Kunstverein Mauritius/Galerie Fiebach-Minninger, Berlin
Dude where is my career? Portikus & MMK Zollamt, Frankfurt/Main
Wannabe, PTH Sankt Georgen, Frankfurt/Main
2008
I love Palms, Galerie Limoncello, London
Einen Roland für einen Oliver, Kunstverein Ettlingen, Ettlingen
Neuste Mucke aus Timbuktu, Galerie Fiebach-Minninger, Köln
2007
ACAF Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum, Alexandria
2006
st*art* up, Galerie Maurer, Frankfurt/Main
2005
December, Galerie Ritter und Staiff, Frankfurt/Main
Plátano exótico, La Esmeralda, Mexico City