On the last day of August, as the art industry was gearing up for its busiest season, an article in a prominent German national newspaper sent shockwaves through the sector. After three years of research, Die Zeit published allegations of abusive behavior and sexual harassment against the leading German dealer Johann König. König denies the allegations and is now engaged in a legal battle with the paper over what his lawyer Simon Bergmann has described as false facts and “suspicious reporting.”
In the months that followed Die Zeit’s initial report, there has been some direct fallout. One of König’s longtime artists, Monica Bonvicini, told the media she had “paused her relationship with the gallery until the allegations made against Johann König have been resolved.” Last week, the gallery announced in a post on Instagram that it would “cut ties” with the artist (the post, seen by Artnet News, has now been deleted).
The American English translation of König’s 2019 memoir, the Blind Gallerist, which traces the story of how he partially lost his vision as a child and went on to build a visual art empire, has also been put on hold. The publisher, Sternberg Press, did not respond to a request for comment.
The dealer has been working hard to limit the damage and defend himself. At the end of October, König’s lawyers won a temporary injunction against Die Zeit from Hamburg Regional Court. For around 24 hours, the article disappeared completely from the internet. When...
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