Held at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in October 1978, this exhibition brought together hundreds of artworks by 32 German-born artists living in London at that time. The exhibition featured sketches, paintings, sculpture and mixed media, including three collages by Luise. After moving to London in the 1960s, Luise studied at the Camden Institute and she had had a solo exhibition at the Patrick Seale Gallery earlier in the same year.
Foreword from the exhibition catalogue, written by Werner Kilian, Cultural Attaché:
During recent centuries many German painters came to Britain attracted by better conditions, greener pastures or fairer ladies. There has been a similar traffic in the other direction, for similar reasons. This is quite natural with the short distance and the mutual appreciation for the art of the other country.
To mark the opening of our new Chancery building we are presenting this exhibition of German-born artists living in London. Almost certainly the 32 names in this catalogue do not represent a complete list. My apologies to those who were not included. With the limited space available the number of exhibits had to be reduced in a way which I personally regret. However, it was just not possible to illustrate all the major steps in the development of every artist – though this has been attempted in some cases.
The 32 represent all age groups – from 27 to 89 – and most art styles of this century. Many of the exhibitors were Jewish refugees or others who for political reasons had to leave Germany during the Nazi era. One of the few pictures which refers to that traumatic experience is Walter Nessler’s ‘Dresdner Traum’ [the cover picture, left] painted in London two years after the artist went into exile. His memories of home with castle and church on the one side and with Hans and Lea Grundig, Mary Wigman and another friend sitting under a tree on the other side, prompted him to paint this very German scene which is at the same time an immensely moving document of the sometimes desperate situation of refugees who had to find a new home in Britain. This painting may perhaps be taken as being representative of many others, never finished or never shown, that look back to the Germany that was.
The other half of this group arrived after 1945. They came here to study at London Art Schools, some having won German or British scholarships, and all attracted by a city which for so many has become the main art centre and the liveliest town there is.
The artsts whose work was exhibited are: Hans Anschütz, Peter Arnold, Monika Beisner, Kurt Benning, Milein Cosman, Elizabeth Cvetkovic (née Kuhn), Jupp Dernbach-Mayen, Hans Dörflinger, Susan Einzig, Hans Feibusch, Edith Galliner, Gisela Horstkotte, Christine von Huetz Davisson, Erich Kahn, Peter Kalkhof, Rudolf Kortokraks, Pamina Liebert-Mahrenholz, Ursula Matussek, Walter Nessler, Erna Nonnenmacher, Heinz-Dieter Pietsch, Erna Pinner, Luise Rainer, Adele Reifenberg-Rosenbaum, Lottie Reizenstein, Ute Rothenberg, Volker Stoecks, Hans Tisdall, Fred Uhlman, Helmuth Weissenborn and Katerina Wilczynski.
Luise Rainer 