With around 80 works from the years since 1990, this survey of works presents a painter whose paintings bear witness to unique power and authenticity. The paintings of this painter are timeless and testify to a high painterly culture. Gais himself speaks of the "ransacked surfaces" of his paintings; he understands them as curtains in front of walls, as fantasy triggers and cult objects. Gais has lived in the countryside in Italy since the early 1990s, and in his painting the influences of his surroundings mix with a comprehensive understanding of culture, which is also evident in the painter's fascination with African cultures. Gais stands up for a universal understanding of culture that offers valid signposts and sources of inspiration, especially in our disorientated times.