Kunstverein Hamburg Announces Charity Auction to Save Its Future

Written by Michelle Wildenstein Saturday, 10 September 2011 22:48

HAMBURG, GERMANY - In a very difficult financial situation the Kunstverein Hamburg asked 36 artists who had been presented in the Kunstverein Hamburg in the past, to donate a work for the two charity auctions hosted by Sotheby's. The benefit will hopefully save the future of this established institution. Rather than housing a permanent collection, the Kunstverein hosts temporary exhibitions in order to remain flexible and able to react to contemporary art trends and social issues, which it explores from an aesthetic perspective. But this could come to an end now. That's why the charity auctions are of great importance for the Kunstverein Hamburg and its future existence.

The Kunstverein in Hamburg is one of the oldest art societies in Germany. Since 1817 it has dedicated itself to presenting young, contemporary art. Caspar David Friedrich (1826), Philipp Otto Runge (1836), Arnold Böcklin (1898), Max Beckmann (1912), Paul Klee (1916), Oskar Kokoschka (1919), James Ensor (1932), Pablo Picasso (1948), Jackson Pollock (1958), Francis Bacon (1965), Georg Baselitz (1972), Blinky Palermo (1973), Olafur Eliasson (1995) and other budding artist were presented in solo exhibitions at Kunstverein Hamburg.

Auction of Donated works by:
Georg Baselitz, Thomas Bayrle, John Bock, Michael Conrads, Plamen Dejanoff, Thomas Demand, Charley Harper, Jeppe Hein, Georg Herold, Carsten Höller, Jörg Immendorff, Per Kirkeby, Konrad Klapheck, Oskar Kokoschka, Charles Lapicque, Stefan Marx, Paul McCarthy, Olaf Metzel, Olaf Nicolai, Holger Niehaus, Jorge Pardo, Manfred Pernice, Tal R, Tobias Rehberger, Markus Schinwald, Andreas Slominski, Silke Wagner, Erwin Wurm, Tobias Zielony.

Auctioneer:
Dr. Philipp Herzog von Württemberg, Vice Chairman Sotheby's Europe and Managing
Director Sotheby's Germany-Friday, October 14, 2011, 12 pm.

Current exhibition . . The American painter and graphic designer Charley Harper (1922–2007) is well known for his detailed and geometrically determined illustrations, prints and posters showing motifs from flora and fauna. His works combine nature-oriented realism, impacts from cubism and minimalism to an independent visual language. His motives are reduced to the very essential, to the main characteristic. But to abstract form and figure leads to an increase and an accentuation of their identity: "I never count the feathers in the wings—I just count the wings." Harpers screen prints are characterized by this simultaneous idea of simplicity and the variety of forms that create a distinctive universe. Sometimes his compositions appear as geometrical hidden object pictures revealing animals and plants not until the second glance. His almost scientific design generates an intergenerational attraction through their catchy and fascinating language that is not only attractive to kids. Showing his work for the first time in Germany the exhibition at Kunstverein Hamburg assembles more than 60 screen prints of Charley Harper's colorful wildlife.

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