Techno Classica Essen March 21 - 25 2012.

VIP, Preview day March 21.

International Gallery of Automotive Art

Since its invention, the automobile is a continuous challenge for all fields of the arts. Whether painting, graphics, caricature, sculpture or photography, whether glorifying, enthusiastic, realistic or demonizing - since more than 100 years, the automobile has left its traces as a topic in the arts. This certainly also is due to the fact that many automobiles themselves are considered to be objects of art, especially those with bodies of famous coachbuilders. "My Bugatti is more beautiful than all pieces of art", the French painter André Derain is quoted to have said about his 57SC Atalante two-seater.

More than 20 renowned gallery owners from Germany and abroad are offering pieces of art around the automobile at TECHNO-CLASSICA, just as many contemporary artists, who are travelling to Essen in person to present their pieces of art to a knowledgeable public. Automobile art also includes the work of commercial artists and press illustrators. One of them would have been 100 years of age this year: Walter Gotschke. His work is also found at the literature dealers: in magazines, brochures and books.

There is no doubt that also Alfredo de la Maria belongs to the artists of particular interest, who show their work at TECHNO-CLASSICA. He was born in Uruguay and intensely deals with automotive arts. "In 1989, he had his first of many exhibitions in the Buenos Aires Classic Cars Club. He quickly became popular as a talented artist and master of oil paint", says Conny Constantin, director of the Stuttgart gallery CC Kunst, which present and offers for sale some of his most beautiful works of art at TECHNO-CLASSICA. "His unbelievable technique combines the dramatic realism with a distinct impressionistic touch", adds Constantin. Those interested in the arts can convince themselves already prior to the opening of TECHNO-CLASSICA: Alfredo de la Maria also painted the picture of the Pegaso on the official TECHNO-CLASSICA poster.