40 Years of Bananensprayer: Thomas Baumgärtel's Art Comes to Ulm
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40 Years of Bananensprayer: Thomas Baumgärtel's Yellow Trail in Ulm
Four decades, an iconic motif, and a distinctive handwriting: The exhibition 40 Years of Bananensprayer brings works by the artist Thomas Baumgärtel to the Gallery am Saumarkt in Ulm. Kicking off on November 6, 2026, it offers a glimpse into an artistic career where street art, spray art, painting, drawing, printmaking, and collage interweave.
A Banana Becomes a Quality Seal
Thomas Baumgärtel, born in 1960 in Rheinberg and currently living and working in Cologne, has been known as Bananensprayer since the 1980s. Since 1986, his sprayed banana has marked numerous museums, galleries, and art institutions. What began as a subversive symbol in public space has evolved into a cheeky quality seal of the art scene.
Street Art Between Irony and Art History
The exhibition shows how versatile Baumgärtel uses his central motif. The spray banana appears in different groups of work, connects with motifs from art history and pop culture, or wanders across canvas, paper, and sculptural materials. Here, precise stencil work, serial imagery, and societal commentary come together.
From Public Space to Gallery
Baumgärtel studied Fine Arts and Diploma Psychology in Cologne. His artistic practice moves between direct gesture and conceptual condensation. The banana functions simultaneously as an image sign, signature, and commentary: eye-catching, humorous, and open to political or social interpretations.
An Anniversary Looking Back at Four Decades
The presentation in the Gallery am Saumarkt is part of the anniversary program 40 Years of Bananensprayer, which brings together works from various phases of creation. Visitors will experience an exhibition that makes the journey from graffiti gesture to an established position in contemporary art comprehensible.
Conclusion
Anyone wishing to discover the development of German street art, the impact of serial image signs, and the humorous power of spray art will find a special exhibition evening in Ulm. The Gallery am Saumarkt invites you to experience Thomas Baumgärtel's yellow trail live and in direct dialogue with the works.
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