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Gallery owner König: "Precautionary" apology?
Photo: Moritz Frankenberg / picture alliance / dpa
The Berlin gallery owner Johann König, who represents several stars of the art scene such as Katharina Grosse, Alicja Kwade and Norbert Bisky, is said to have repeatedly sexually harassed and molested different women in the context of art events, writes the weekly newspaper »Die Zeit«.
She refers to women who describe their experiences with König, partly under real names, partly anonymously.
The newspaper article mentions, among other things, an allegedly surprising kiss in the Berlin restaurant "Grill Royal" after an exhibition opening.
At a party on the sidelines of the Paris art fair Fiac 2017, King is said to have groped women, rubbed them and touched their breasts.
A former employee claims to have observed how the gallery owner tried to force a woman into a toilet cubicle.
Another employee said in the article that she felt "like loot" when König grabbed her and held her tightly.
He abused his position, she is quoted as saying in "Zeit", because he knew that the employee could not make a scene on such an important evening.
A woman who has done business with König reports frequent touching and comments about her appearance.
She felt bitter and humiliated.
According to the "Zeit" authors, Johann König did not commit any capital crimes, even if the women's statements were correct.
However, in the women's descriptions, the gallerist comes across as "like a man who sometimes oversteps boundaries, is encroaching and who plays off his power and mixes professional and private sexual interests with one another."
According to Die Zeit, it received a "warning letter" from König's lawyer.
Accordingly, all allegations would be denied without exception.
Since the names of the women were not disclosed to König, it was made impossible for his client to specifically counter the allegations.
In addition, the presumption of innocence applies.
According to the quoted lawyer's letter, Johann König was confronted with alleged »misconduct« from the art world.
He then apologized, but only "as a precaution" to avoid a confrontation.
The research of the past three years would have damaged King's reputation, some of the alleged incidents more than five years ago had "no relevance whatsoever".
After he had been confronted with the women's allegations in writing by "Zeit", König then invited them to a 90-minute conversation, from which, however, on the instructions of König's lawyer, nothing was to be quoted, either directly or indirectly.
Feb