Franz Gertsch participated in Documenta V in Kassel in 1972, and in the Venice Bienalle in 1978 and 1999. His work is known to bridge Pop art with traditional painting and printmaking. Although originating from photos or slides, his work incorporates a conceptual element. In 2003, Museum Franz Gertsch, Burgdorf, organised an exhibition of the Patti Smith paintings which traveled to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich and then to the Gagosian Gallery in New York.