A Contemporary Art Experience in the Heart of the Alps
With Gallery KOKO, a new space for contemporary art is being created at the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach – authentic, sophisticated, and internationally connected. The gallery is not a classic white cube, but rather a vibrant exhibition concept that allows art to be experienced in context: embedded in the resort's stylish architecture, visible in stairwells, hallways, and select rooms – always curated with a clear eye for quality, relevance, and atmosphere.
Art at Bachmair is not just decoration – it is part of the experience.
Three curated exhibition series per year showcase changing positions in painting, sculpture, and photography. Emerging talents are showcased alongside established voices from the international art scene—always curated by renowned figures such as MAX 33 & Friends.
Gallery KOKO is aimed at art collectors, hotel guests, architecture lovers and a style-conscious community that sees art as part of an upscale lifestyle.
Korbinian Kohler – Hotelier, Visionary, Gallery Owner
Korbinian Kohler will take on a new role as founder and owner of Gallery KOKO starting in summer 2025. In addition to his work as owner of the Bachmair Weissach Group, he is creating a place where art, culture, and aesthetics are an integral part of the experience.
With the founding of Gallery KOKO, Korbinian Kohler is expanding his portfolio to include a cultural dimension: As the owner of the gallery, he is realizing his vision of making art tangible and bringing guests, artists, and collectors into a lively dialogue.
As a trained philosopher, he has always pursued an interdisciplinary approach. In addition to his work in the hotel industry, he also founded the Korbinians Kolleg philosophical forum and now aims to make a social contribution through the medium of art.
As a passionate local patriot, he pursues a clear goal: to position Lake Tegernsee—Germany's most beautiful recreational region—as an internationally acclaimed cultural destination. With Gallery KOKO, he bridges the gap between regional roots and a global perspective.
Location & architectural context
Embedded in the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach, one of the leading luxury hotels in the Alpine region, the Gallery KOKO unfolds its effect in an extraordinary architectural environment.
The resort, characterized by Japanese-inspired clarity, historic substance, and contemporary aesthetics, offers the ideal resonant space for art with attitude. Instead of isolated white cubes, the works are encountered in light-filled corridors, stairwells, salons, the spa, and select suites – the architecture itself becomes the stage.
Art is not a guest here – it is an integral part of the atmosphere.
Curatorial team: 2nd exhibition series: Benedikt Müller
Benedikt Müller studied business administration and cultural management and has been working in various responsible positions in the cultural sector since September 2020.
After completing his master's degree at the HMT Munich, he undertook a traineeship at Christie's in Zurich and worked at Karl & Faber in Munich, specializing in Classical Modernism.
As Head of Digital Collections at Collecto, he worked with international museums and private collections on digitization projects, apps and catalogues raisonnés.
Currently, he is responsible for setting up an academy in the private cultural sector in Munich, which hosts weekly speakers from culture, science and politics such as Uli Sigg, Sophie von der Tann, Dieter Schwarz or Gregor Gysi.
Curatorial team: 2nd exhibition series: Annabel Weichel
Annabel Weichel studied art history and French literature in Paris and Munich, and also pursued part-time studies in art market management in Berlin and London. She works in an internationally renowned collection of contemporary art in Munich and is actively involved in the Society of Friends of Haus der Kunst, where she has served on the board since 2022. Her particular interest lies in the intersections of art, architecture, design, and music. Given her German-Italian heritage, exchange with Italian cultural institutions plays a central role in her work. Her work focuses on contemporary art education, the strategic development of digital projects, socially conscious cultural communication, and event management. Through innovative projects, she creates spaces for encounter where art and culture can be experienced and accessed.
(Photo credit: Joel Heyd)
2nd exhibition series
ARTIFICIAL? Traces of the Present
How does reality become tangible in the medium of contemporary art? How do we encounter the here and now when it is mediated through artistic forms, materials, and perspectives? The exhibition ARTIFICIAL? Traces of the Present is dedicated to the diverse artistic approaches to the reality surrounding us and its manifestations. The question mark in ARTIFICIAL? points to a central tension: reality is not simply depicted in art, but rather shaped. Art is therefore never objective—not even where it claims to be. Every artistic approach is a conscious aesthetic and conceptual statement that orders perception and interprets reality. The exhibition thus focuses less on the present itself than on its experienceability. The works presented reveal such traces of the present—as condensations and fragments between perception and artistic form. Abstract and figurative positions converge. Painting, sculpture, photography, and objects unfold a field of tension in which materiality and perception interact. The diverse artistic approaches demonstrate the manifold ways in which reality is shaped in the medium of art. The exhibition venue also plays a special role. The architectural and atmospheric setting of the Bachmair Weissach Spa & Resort shifts the traditional exhibition framework. In a private, intimate environment, the works encounter viewers more closely in relation to their everyday lives. This proximity opens up a space for experience in which art, space, and lived reality intertwine in new ways. Together, the represented positions demonstrate that artistic practice does not depict reality, but rather shapes it. Perception is shaped, meanings shift, and the present is constantly revealed anew.
Lavinia Berton, Jan Davidoff, Hedwig Eberle, Annemarie Faupel, Gregor Hildebrandt, Maria Justus, Katharina Koch, Suse Kohler, Christian Muscheid, Florian Nöthe, Gabriele Pöhlmann, Joan Saló, Doreh Schütz, Philipp Stähle, Rosalie Werthefrongel and Martin Wöhrl
Curatorial direction & partners: 1st exhibition series
MAX 33 I The Art Initiative
MAX 33 supports young contemporary art and artists. MAX 33 provides this support primarily by facilitating exhibitions for young artists and thus provides active support for young art students and academy graduates – particularly from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich – where they learn to think commercially about their creative work. To achieve this goal, MAX 33 has also established collaborations with the support associations of museums both nationally and internationally. This is achieved through joint tours, discussion evenings, lectures, and concerts, among other things. MAX 33 is also committed to promoting cultural life in Munich and its dissemination nationally and internationally, particularly in the field of visual arts. The initiator of MAX 33 creates contacts between artists and circles and institutions interested in cultural life, both at home and abroad. MAX 33 was founded by Peter Hansen in October 2016 on the occasion of the temporary use of premises at Maximilianstrasse 33 - MAX 33 (R), which was made possible by the City of Munich and its competence team for the cultural and creative industries.
Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen is the initiator and driving force behind MAX 33 – a platform that gives young contemporary artists visibility and creates new approaches to art. With great passion and a keen sense of quality, he pursues the goal of promoting young artists and making them accessible to a broad audience.
With over 30 years of experience in the international art market, Hansen has firsthand knowledge of the dynamics of galleries, fairs, and biennials. For 15 years, he has headed the Friends of the Villa Stuck Museum in Munich—a reflection of his sustained commitment to art and its institutions.
MAX 33 was born in 2016 with the temporary use of a vacant space at Maximilianstraße 33. What began as a spontaneous exhibition became a success—and a commitment. Since then, Hansen has continued to run MAX 33 as a platform with vision and energy.
Its global network connects artists, collectors, curators, and art lovers – making MAX 33 an open stage for the contemporary art of tomorrow.