Petrus Wandrey
As the pioneer of Digitalism in art, Petrus Wandrey (1939–2012) forged a visionary world uniting technology, science, and imagination, establishing himself as one of Germany’s most original postwar artists.
Wandrey himself appointed us to manage his estate, the majority of his Oeuvre.
Petrus Wandrey (1939–2012) was a visionary German artist who boldly explored the intersection of art, science, and technology at a time when such dialogue was still in its infancy. Born in Dresden, he grew up in a Europe marked by reconstruction and rapid cultural change. From early on, Wandrey distinguished himself not by conforming to traditional schools of painting, but by forging new paths. He declared himself the inventor of “Digitalism”, long before digital culture became a dominant force in art and society.
His work, characterized by bold graphics, vibrant colors, and an often conceptual rigor, merged a fascination with codes, systems, and structures with a deeply human sensibility. Wandrey was fascinated by the way modern life was being reshaped by machines, computers, and emerging media. He translated this into paintings, collages, and sculptural works that often appeared futuristic yet always carried an unmistakable sense of wit and irony.
“Machines will never be able to generate a work of art using software, because artwork is a result of feelings – something a computer will never accomplish.
For me, the computer is more like a paint box, a tool allowing me to choose from several options.” - Petrus WANDREY
During his career, Wandrey moved in influential circles and built friendships with key figures of the international avant-garde. Most notably, he shared an artistic camaraderie with Salvador Dalí, with whom he exchanged ideas about surrealism, perception, and the potential of art to move beyond traditional boundaries. While Dalí embodied the dreamlike and irrational, Wandrey approached the technological and structural — yet both were united by a shared interest in pushing the limits of imagination.
A decisive chapter in Wandrey’s story was his encounter with the Sabatier family. Eduard Sabatier was among the first to recognize Wandrey’s originality and became an early supporter. Later, Eduard’s son Torsten Sabatier developed a close personal friendship with the artist, ensuring that Wandrey’s works were not only collected but also championed and exhibited. Through these connections, Wandrey’s art found a dedicated circle of advocates who understood its significance.
Today, the Sabatier Galerie & Kunsthandel continues to manage and preserve Wandrey’s estate. This stewardship ensures that his pioneering vision — his self-declared “Digitalism,” his dialogue with the greats of the 20th century, and his bold exploration of technology as an artistic medium — remains alive and accessible. Wandrey’s work, once ahead of its time, now speaks directly to an age defined by digital transformation, reaffirming his role as a true pioneer of modern culture.
“Petrus Wandrey was far ahead of his time, a true pioneer whose vision of Digitalism anticipated the world we live in today.”
In exhibitions across Germany and abroad, Wandrey established himself as an artist who could not be easily classified. His paintings and objects often played with the aesthetics of advertising, pop, and media culture, while at the same time commenting on deeper philosophical questions of human existence in the modern age. In this way, his oeuvre forms a bridge between the legacy of European modernism and the emerging discourses of postmodernity and digital culture.
Wandrey’s personal life mirrored his restless artistic drive. He resisted easy categorization and was constantly in search of new forms of expression. His practice combined discipline and curiosity — qualities that made his work resonate with collectors, curators, and fellow artists alike. By the time of his death in 2012, he had left behind a body of work that was both highly original and prescient, anticipating the role digital media would come to play in art and society.
Works in Collection Placement
PIXELMOUSE (2009)
Acrylic on canvas, 140 × 120 cm, unique piece
Pixel Mouse is merging pop culture with the sharp geometry of digital abstraction.
A pixelated mouse figure dominates the canvas, its black cross-shaped body set against a divided blue-and-white background, disrupted only by a single red square. With its bold yellow eyes and vivid red mouth, the stylized face hovers between playful and unsettling, turning a mass-media symbol into fine art.
€ 65,000.00
0.75 BTC
20 ETH
LOW LEVEL I & II (2006)
Classic frame elements, lacquered multiplex construction,
104 × 104 × 13 cm each, unique pieces
In Low Level 1 and Low Level 2, Petrus Wandrey fuses fragments of real old classical frames with bold, monochrome surfaces in red and blue.
The stark, pixel-like forms reveal the gilded frame beneath, creating a dialogue between past and present, ornament and reduction. These works exemplify Wandrey’s radical approach to Digitalism: reinterpreting the tradition of fine art through minimalist geometry and industrial clarity.
As a pair, they highlight the tension between historical refinement and contemporary abstraction, transforming the frame itself into the artwork.
€ 45,000.00
0.5 BTC
15 ETH
COOL-COOL (1997)
Screenprint on handmade paper
77 × 106 cm, 50 limited editions
In Cool-Cool, Petrus Wandrey transforms one of the world’s most recognizable logos into a pixelated emblem of the digital age. The familiar curves of consumer branding are reduced to bold, block-like forms, fusing pop art sensibility with the aesthetics of early computer graphics. By reworking a symbol of mass culture into a coded, abstract language, Wandrey challenges notions of originality, repetition, and desire.
Both playful and critical, this work stands as a key example of his Digitalism.
€ 2.500,00
0,03 BTC
0,7 ETH
King Cool, 2007–2008
Gilded circuit boards, anodized heat sinks
on a 2 mm cut-out stainless steel
45.5 × 24.4 × 14.4 cm, edition of 12 + EA
In King Cool and Queen Cool, Petrus Wandrey transforms industrial components into striking anthropomorphic sculptures. Composed of gleaming circuit boards and sharp, anodized heat sinks, the works fuse the language of technology with the timeless archetypes of a royal couple. Their geometric faces, etched in gold lines and microchip details, project both humor and authority, suggesting a digital dynasty ruling over the electronic age. These pieces exemplify Wandrey’s Digitalism, turning the cold rationality of machines into playful yet iconic figures of contemporary culture.
€ 40,000.00
0.45 BTC
12 ETH
Queen Cool, 2007–2008
Gilded circuit boards, anodized heat sinks
on a 2 mm cut-out stainless steel
44.2 × 18 × 14.4 cm, edition of 12 + EA