Galerie Hans Mayer was established in 1965 in Esslingen, Germany. Exhibitions on themes such as Op Art, Contemporary Constructivism, and Kinetic Art made the gallery very prominent in the 1960s. In 1967, Hans Mayer co-founded the world’s first art fair in Cologne, and, at age 25, he executed his first exhibition featuring the music of John Cage and the squares of Joseph Albers. Since 1971, the gallery has been based in Düsseldorf.
In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the gallery program expanded continuously. In 1969, Hans Mayer was the first to bring Andy Warhol to Düsseldorf, which then lead to the renowned encounter between Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol in 1979.
In 1989, Nam June Paik joined the gallery. Hans Mayer then added American artists such as Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, and representatives of a younger generation, including Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, Robert Longo, Bill Beckley, and Tony Oursler to his program. Furthermore, in 1995, one of the landmark shows of the American appropriation artist Elaine Sturtevant took place in the gallery. Jürgen Klauke, C.O. Paeffgen, Ben Willikens, and Markus Oehlen represent European art.
Photography also plays an important role in the gallery’s history. Hans Mayer introduced Peter Lindbergh's work to an artistic audience, and was the first one to expose Helmut Newton in Germany. Shows by Karl Lagerfeld and Dennis Hopper were also part of the widespread gallery program.
The gallery’s exhibitions have always been greatly appreciated due to the innovation they have brought to the art scene. Spectacular crossovers took place, when performances such as of 'The Living Theatre,' encounters between actors such as Bernhard Minetti and Heiner Müller, or gigs by the composer Steve Reich, or the singer Max Raabe, as well as bands like The Who, The Small Faces, and Kraftwerk, took place. In addition, John Lennon’s first drawings were shown at the gallery in 1970.
The highlight of the reopening of the gallery at its former location at the Grabbeplatz in Düsseldorf, in September 2011, was a selective and secret 3-D concert by the German electro band Kraftwerk. The show could be seen as a test run for their approaching tour to the most renowned museums worldwide.
Apart from gallery exhibitions, Hans Mayer also deals in post-1945 European and American art, he also specializes in large outdoor sculptures and installations.
On the June 4, 2008, Hans Mayer obtained the European Gallery Award for his 40-year engagement in Contemporary Art. Today, Galerie Hans Mayer remains one of only two galleries to have participated in Art Basel every year since it began.
