The thinker, poet and artist AL, alias DENKSTAHL, has been artistically active for 3 decades. He studied, not at an academic university, but on the street. His sudden realization during an existential crisis, being a matter of life or death, gave him access to his art. His impressive life story is the story of transformation; it describes the phoenix from the ashes.

Rarely is an artist as strong both in word and image as DENKSTAHL. His name says it all! His words are deep and touching, his pictures critical, but also ironic and provocative. Since 2000, he has devoted himself mainly to digital image art. In his monumental oeuvre, almost all themes of art history can be found, especially street art, pop art, urban art, portraiture as well as works of old masters, which he lets shine in a new light.

The very specific word pair HOLY & DIRTY in fact describes numerous DENKSTAHL works. This mood also pervades the upcoming DENKSTAHL film – a film in the making …

Exhibitions

» Digital show GIVE WAR A KICK during the concert „The Armed Man. A Mass For Peace“ in the church Nachfolge-Christi-Kirche under the direction of Hubert Arnold
Bonn/DE November 2023

» Group exhibition with Farm & Distillery Berlin at TRYST Alternative Art Fair, organized by TAM – Torrance Art Museum, Torrance/Los Angeles/USA October 2023

» Group exhibition DYSTOPOLY – Wilhelmsburg earthenware factory
Curated by Erich Heyduck, Gerhard Malecik and stachel©, Wilhelmsburg/AT 2023

» Exhibition at the Küglerhof Hotel – Dorf Tirol/IT 2023

» Artistic intervention IN THE TIMES OF WATCHMAKERS
Curated by Zdravko Haderlap, Erich Heyduck, a-zone and stachel©, Lepena/AT 2022

» Group exhibition – DAISYWORLD – Wilhelmsburg Tableware Museum
Curated by Gerhard Malecik, Erich Heyduck and stachel©, Wilhelmsburg/AT 2021-2022

» Group exhibition – ART & FLY – Adriana Art Gallery, Ibiza Private Jet Terminal/SP 2020-2023

» Group exhibition – SWISSARTEXPO – Artbox Project, Zurich/CH 2021

» Exhibition – DENKSTAHL in ARTEG Kunstgalerie, Tegernsee/DE 2019-2020

» Group exhibition – URBAN ART EDITION 2018-22 – Urbanshit Gallery, Hamburg/DE

» Exhibition with Galerie am Park at Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt 2018

» Exhibition at THE ARTS+, Frankfurt Book Fair 2018

» Group exhibition – DER ZUFRIEDENE SKLAVE (The Satisfied Slave)
Curated by Erik Anders, Lichtraum eins, Vienna/AT 2018

» Group exhibition – FARBWERKE-HÖCHST-SONDERBAR – Acrylic paintings
Hoechst Versicherungs AG, Frankfurt 1999

» Exhibition ANFANG (Beginning) – Acrylic paintings
Galerie Passepartout, Obertshausen 1997

Publications

DENKSTAHL. art of a rebellious mind
ISBN 978-3-941151-36-9 (3rd modified edition – En)
ISBN 978-3-941151-35-2 (3rd modified edition – De)

DENKSTAHL. DENKMAHL
ISBN 978-3-941151-77-2 (lover’s edition, limited – De)

DENKSTAHL. SINNFLUT
ISBN 978-3-941151-37-6 (lover’s edition, limited – De)

DENKSTAHL. DIGIT-AL 
ISBN 978-3-941151-32-1 (En & De)

DENKSTAHL. HEADS
ISBN 978-3-941151-31-4 (En & De)

DENKSTAHL STREET ART. chalk & stickers
ISBN 978-3-941151-30-7 (En & De)

DENKSTAHL. POESIE & PROSA
ISBN 978-3-941151-21-5 (De)

Download DENKSTAHL Exposè: english I german

No picture on its own may honestly bespeak, what needs to be said
AL, DENKSTAHL

Digit-AL Streetart by DENKSTAHL – Street Art meets Digital Art
Nora Hauschild, October 2018

Artist and author AL, DENKSTAHL – in an interview
Sequana Birkel, July 2020

DENKSTAHL – an artist between classical art history and rebellion
Dr. Stephanie Schoger, June 2021