Interview
Thomas Falkner
Thomas Falkner, born in Berlin, lives and works as a visual artist specializing in digitally enhanced photography. His works are created from his own photographs, which are abstracted and recomposed in a multi-stage process. He combines classic image processing with AI-supported elements and favors a reduced, clear visual language. His works have been exhibited internationally and are part of public collections. Thomas Falkner has been honored with several international awards, including the Leonardo da Vinci Prize (Milan) and most recently as Artist of the Year 2025 inCesenatico/Italy and the Oscar for Creativity at theBiennial of Visual Arts in Monte Carlo.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I live and work in Berlin. I originally worked for many years as a political journalist, author, and consultant—always with a deep interest in social processes and communication. Over twenty years ago, I became fascinated by the convergence of photography and computer technology. What began as a hobby gradually developed into a serious artistic practice. Since my retirement in 2021, I have devoted myself entirely to art—it is my ‘third chapter of life,’ as I like to call it.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My images deliberately avoid a superficial message. I want to make structures, perspectives, and connections visible that often remain hidden in everyday life. My aim is to broaden our perspectives—not to offer a ready-made interpretation. Some early series, such as ‘The Star of Communism—Rise and Fall,’ touch on historical or social contexts, but always with room for individual interpretation. Later digital visions, developed with AI, such as Burning Piano or War, are more concrete in their motif language and yet present something that lies beneath the reality we perceive every day. I believe that art has the strongest impact when it awakens a side of the viewer, when it inspires self-discovery on the one hand, and openness and exchange on the other.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“It's a mixture. The photographic basis often arises spontaneously—a moment of light, a perspective that can't be repeated, a surprising visual idea in everyday life. But the subsequent digital processing is a long, often multi-stage process. Some motifs accompany me for years until I find their final form. For me, inspiration and structure go hand in hand.”
Are there any art world trends are you following?
“I observe the increasing merging of classic photography with digital and AI-based techniques. The possibilities of creating one's own motifs and not just reacting to what is available expand artistic horizons enormously. But I remain convinced that technology should never determine the message—that remains the task and opportunity of the artist.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“Nearly all my works are based on my own photographs. After a special scanning process, only basic elements such as lines, surfaces, and selected colors remain. From there, the actual design begins: reduction, changes in perspective, and targeted color accents. I work with Photoshop, Nik, Luminar, Copilot, and occasionally with smartphone apps. For printing, I generally prefer AluDibond matte—a material that conveys the clarity and depth of my images particularly well.”
“My images deliberately avoid a superficial message. I want to make structures, perspectives, and connections visible that often remain hidden in everyday life.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It's a path to myself. For me, art is like a long-distance run—you have to persevere, be honest with yourself, and not stop halfway. I find depth in reduction, clarity in abstraction. My art isn't decoration, but a space for experience—most valuable and fulfilling when I can share it with others.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“Claude Monet's ‘Impression, Sunrise’ deeply moved me. His use of light, his ability to allow the representational to recede behind the atmospheric, is unique to me. Works by Dali, Max Ernst, Hopper, and Goya also inspire me—especially where light, structure, and emotion create a complex tension.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“A turning point was the joint exhibition ‘The Second View. Berlin – The City’ with the Berlin-based painter Horst Dietzel. Our different approaches to urban motifs led to a fascinating synthesis. My first solo exhibition abroad – ‘reduced – Berlin & elsewhere’ in Barcelona – was also a significant step into the international art world. I am particularly proud of the inclusion of one of my works in the permanent collection of the Issyk State Historical and Cultural Reserve Museum in Kazakhstan. In autumn 2025, my paintings will be shown in the museums of the palace and residential town of Greiz in Thuringia. From autumn 2025, I will be at the Hong Art Museum in Chongqing (China) for the International Modern & Contemporary Art Exhibition ‘FUSION OF HORIZONS - Contemporary Art in Dialogue.’”
Website: thomasfalkner.art
Instagram: @thofalkner
