The Deutsche Bundesbank started collecting contemporary art as long ago as 1957, the year in which it was founded. Thus began a tradition that has remained alive to the present day. Besides promoting cultural heritage, the Bank’s aim is to demonstrate its commitment to integrating art into the workplace, thereby allowing staff and visitors to contemplate recent and contemporary artworks on a daily basis. 

The Bundesbank’s art collection focuses mainly on paintings, sculptures and works on paper from German-speaking countries. Its Central Office in Frankfurt, its numerous regional offices and branches in cities throughout Germany and its international representative offices today house works of art which provide an insight into artistic developments from the second half of the 20th century up to today. 

Paintings by Horst Antes, Georg Baselitz, Marwan Kassab-Bachi, Gerhard Merz and A. R. Penck and sculptures by Michael Croissant are on display at the New York representative office. Together, they provide a representative cross-section of the Bundesbank’s art collection.

Horst Antes (*1936)

Tagebild (Date Image) 23.04.1995-14.06.1995, 1995
Öl auf Leinwand (Oil on canvas)

Tagebild (Date Image) 14.12.1993-20.04.1995, 1995
Öl auf Leinwand (Oil on canvas)

Tagebild (Date Image) 3.5.1995-17.05.1995, 1995
Öl auf Leinwand (Oil on canvas)

Horst Antes became known for his “Kopffüssler” (head-and-foot-figures). At the end of the 1980s, Antes developed the cycle of “Tagebilder” (date images). Each work depicts a series of large-scale Arabic numerals in the form of dates: day, month and year. Some of the numbers overlap repeatedly, especially the numbers indicating the days on the left-hand side of the picture. As Antes would state the date of the day he made the first brush stroke on the canvas, his works show a chronological timeline of his artistic work. 

Signatures with the date of origin and the artist’s initials have formed an integral part of works of art since the 16th century. However, these are usually noted in small writing in a corner of the picture or on the reverse of the canvas. In Antes’ “date images”, the date becomes the actual motif of the painting: a certain period of time is represented in the individual works through personally selected dates which appear in a time-lapse visualisation. The date is not just a symbol, but rather the picture’s very theme.

Biography

Horst Antes 1936 born in Heppenheim • 1957-59 studied painting at the Staatliche Akademie für bildende Künste, Karlsruhe under HAP Grieshaber • 1960 scholarship at the Kulturkreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft • 1962 scholarship at the Villa Romana, Florence • 1963 scholarship at the Villa Massimo, Rome • 1966 UNESCO Prize • 1984 professorship at the Akademie für Bildende Künste, Karlsruhe • 1991 Hessischer Kulturpreis • lives and works in Berlin, Karlsruhe and Florence

Georg Baselitz (*1938)

Untitled, 1977
Gouache auf Papier (Gouache on paper)

Untitled, 1978
Gouache auf Papier (Gouache on paper)

Georg Baselitz made a name for himself through expressive, representational art. In his paintings he has frequently addressed German history from a provocative vantage point. In 1969 he took a sharp creative turn by deciding to turn his motifs upside down. Thanks to this device, his work occupies a specific niche somewhere between figurative and abstract painting. Turning familiar subjects on their head, he imbues them with an alien, disquieting quality, making them impossible to identify at a single glance. While the two gouache works of 1977 and 1978 hint at a standing figure and one in repose, the expressive brushwork, his application and handling of the paint and overall composition of these works nonetheless take centre stage.

Asked to elaborate on his motive for turning images upside down, in 1997 the artist answered as fol-lows “I like to think that my inverted paintings work in the same way as any other paintings. When you see a tree in a landscape, one that is quite normally rooted in the ground, that image might have been painted by me, but it could just as easily be the work of van Gogh or Mondrian. […] It puzzles me that nobody thought of doing it before, not least because inverse imagery is such an obvious road to take. Of course, such an approach isn’t going to catch on like a new teaching method. As with cubism or classical realism, image reversal is an invention of the mind. Once I have rendered the image in concrete form, my job is finished”.

Biography

Georg Baselitz 1938 born Hans-Georg Kern in Kamenz-Deutschbaselitz • 1956 studied painting at the Hochschule für bildende und angewandte Kunst, Berlin-Weissensee • 1957-64 studied painting at the Hochschule für die bildenden Künste, Berlin under Hann Trier • 1965 scholarship at the Villa Romana, Florence • 1983-03 professorship at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin • lives and works in Stegen/Ammersee

Michael Croissant (1928-2002) 

Figur (Figure), circa 1984
Eisen geschweißt (Welded iron)

Figur (Figure), 1994
Bronzeguss (Bronze casting)

Michael Croissant’s work focuses on one of the main subjects portrayed in sculpture: figures. For centuries, figures have been key subject matter, ranging from personifications, allegorical scenes, portraits and idealistic images to studies of form and movement.

In this context, Croissant’s human and animal figures occupy a unique position. Croissant focuses on bodies and heads, stylising and reducing them to their elementary form. This concentrated style is the result of the material he used since the 1970s. Segments cut from solid iron, lead or bronze panels are welded into hollow shapes. The smooth surfaces are set at an angle to one another and offer the observer ever-changing perspectives. What appears at first to be a flat surface is often only revealed to be three-dimensional when viewed from a different angle. Positioned horizontally or, like both sculptures in the New York representative office, vertically, these figures are a striking presence.

Biography

1928 Born in Landau/Pfalz • 1942 apprenticeship as stone-mason • 1953-58 studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich under Toni Stadler • 1955 scholarship at the Kulturkreis im Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, Cologne • 1966 Hans-Purrmann-Prize • 1966-88 professorship at the Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main • 1978 Art Prize awarded by the Federal State of Rheinland-Palatinate • died in 2002 in Munich

Hermann Goepfert (1926-1982)

Untitled, 1960
Aquarell (Watercolor)

Untitled (Reflector), 1980
Aquarell (Watercolor)

In his art, Hermann Goepfert sought new forms of expression extending beyond traditional painting. Goepfert turned to Abstract art early on and became an important protagonist in the international ZERO movement. From the 1960s onwards, his characteristic light objects were created. These involved using metal surfaces that make light tangible as an artistic material. He had close ties with artists such as Lucio Fontana and Piero Manzoni and also worked with architects including Johannes Peter Hölzinger. His contribution to the connection between art, space and light is still of great importance today. 

The watercolour “Untitled” from 1960 marks an important transition in Goepfert’s artistic oeuvre. It shows a clear shift away from representational forms towards non-representational painting with reduced visual language. Colour is not used in an illustrative manner, but is examined in terms of its pure, material quality. This represents a first step toward Goepfer’s later use of light as an artistic means. 

This development is continued in the watercolour “Untitled (Reflector)” from 1980. The composition is reminiscent of Göpfert’s aluminium and light objects, which focus on the image space, surfaces and reflections. In the medium of watercolour, too, Goepfert succeeds in subtly but precisely implementing the idea of reflective light on the surface.

Biography

1926 Born in Bad Nauheim • 1947-58 Studied at the Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main • 1964 documenta III • 1965 Planning partnership for new forms of environment with Johannes Peter Hölzinger • 1967 Solo exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels • 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montreal • 1971 Moved to Antwerp • Died in Antwerp in 1982

Marwan Kassab-Bachi (1934-2016) 

Kopf (Head), 1985
Aquarell, Pigment, Acryl und Bleistift (Watercolor, pigment, acrylic and pencil) 

Since the 1980s, faces have dominated the works of the German-Syrian artist Marwan Kassab-Bachi. The expressive heads appear as figures against an abstract background. Through the artistic language, they symbolise inner states and frames of mind and thus become images of life that draw on stories, experiences and various influences. 

A striking example is the work “Kopf” (Head) from 1985. The wave-shaped structures surrounding the face create the impression of movement and emotion. Marwan Kassab-Bachi succeeds in creating a deep visual experience by combining various painting techniques. The viewer is invited to explore the complex inner worlds of the figure.

Biography

1934 Born in Damaskus, Syria • 1955-57 Studied Arabic literature in Damascus • 1957-63 Studied painting at the University of Fine Arts, Berlin under Hann Trier • 1966 Awarded the Karl Hofer Prize, Berlin • 1973 Scholarship at the Cité des Arts, Paris • From 1980, Full Professor for Painting at the Berlin University of the Arts • 1999 Founder of the Summer Academy of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Darat al Funun, Amman • 2005 Awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany • Died in 2016 in Berlin

Gerhard Merz (*1947)

Mountain Crystal, 1985
Siebdruck Kasein, Pigment auf Leinwand (Silkscreen, casein and pigment on canvas)

Gerhard Merz is one of the key representatives of conceptual painting in Germany. Since the 1970s, he has been developing large-format works that are characterised by precision craftsmanship, classic colourfulness and strict order. Merz sees his art as a concentrated space in which measure, colour and light are the focus. He follows fixed proportion and colour theories that have existed since ancient times and still apply today. His exhibitions are complete productions in which he also incorporates, beyond the individual works, wall paint and architecture. Merz’s work was exhibited several times at documenta in Kassel and he designed the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1997. 

The work “Mountain Crystal” is an impressive example of the interplay between shape and colour in contemporary art. The title refers to the clarity and purity of a rock crystal, which is reflected in the clear lines and the subtle colour scheme. The geometric shapes and harmonious arrangement are evocative of the natural structure of crystals, while the reduced colour palette emphasises the essence of the material. 

Biography

1947 Born in Witten • 1967-72 Studied painting, University of Fine Arts Hamburg • 1971 First public exhibition, Kunstverein München • 1977-97 Exhibited four times at documenta, Kassel • 1997 Designed the German Pavilion, 47th Venice Biennale • Numerous exhibitions at international museums and galleries • Lives and works in Witten and Berlin

A. R. Penck (1939-2017)

Strike, 1985
Aquatinta und Kaltnadelradierung (Aquatint and drypoint) 

Ereignis-System (Event System), 1981
Acryl auf Leinwand (Acrylic on canvas)

After experimenting with a variety of artistic styles, in 1963 A R Penck settled upon the language of shape which has characterised his work ever since. Based in Dresden, he focused on the contrasting systems in East and West Germany, consciously straying from the formal paths of Socialist Realism and abstract interpretation. In doing so, he developed a specific vocabulary reminiscent of prehistoric cave paintings. The characters he applies are repeatedly modified and adapted, facilitating a field for communication between visual and written language. 

In his piece, “Ereignis-System” [Event System], Penck uses brusque brushstrokes to create silhouettes of human heads and single letters. Pictograms and simplified symbols immediately catch the eye of the beholder, inviting one to make one’s own interpretation of the image.

“Signals guide behaviour. Information guides behaviour. Signals trigger impulses or curb them, signals set off excitement […]. The pragmatic and magic art of the ice-age man makes me suppose that the origin of art contained initial elements of ‘research’ on the nature of signals that unfortunately were later covered over and forgotten.”

Biography 

A R Penck 1939 born Ralf Winkler in Dresden • 1956-58 apprenticeship as advertising artist • 1976 Will-Grohmann Prize • 1980 Art Prize awarded by the Goethe-Stiftung arts foundation, Basle • lives and works in Dublin, London, Düsseldorf and Cologne

Karl Georg Pfahler (1926-2002)

Untitled, 1968
Farbserigrafie (Color serigraphy)

Untitled, 1968
Farbserigrafie (Color serigraphy)

Karl Georg Pfahler shaped non-representational painting of the post-war era using clear forms, intense colours and a precise visual language. After studying under Willi Baumeister at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, he developed a distinctive style from the early 1960s. It combines elements of colour-field painting with the formal language of geometric abstraction. Pfahler’s works often look like visual signs: dynamic, rich in contrast and intense in colour. 

The first work presents a significantly square shape. It gives an impression of strength and plasticity, as if it were weaving into the viewer’s space. The second work is characterised by a horizontal structure defined by vivid colours and fine lines. The contrast between intense red and blue creates the impression of movement, while the composition is firm and stable at the same time. In these two works, Pfahler succeeds in achieving a balanced relationship between serenity and energy.

Biography 

1926 Born in Nuremberg • 1948-49 Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg • 1950-54 Studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart under Willi Baumeister • 1965 International breakthroughs with exhibitions such as “Signale” (Signals) in Basel • 1970 German contribution at the Venice Biennale • 1981 Representative of German art at the São Paulo Biennale • 1984-92 Teaching position at the Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg • Died in January 2002 in Emetzheim

Walter Dexel (1890–1973)

Composition of P-shapes, 1971
Color silkscreen

Sailing Ship, 1971
Color silkscreen

Walter Dexel was an autodidactic artist from Munich. After completing his degree in Art History, Dexel became the Director of Exhibitions at the Jenauer Kunstverein [Jena Art Association] in 2016. There he was introduced to the evolving modern and abstract art scene. Through exhibitions on Constructivism, New German Architecture and New Ways of Photography, Dexel became acquainted with some of the protagonists of the contemporary art scene, such as Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Oskar Schlemmer, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. His friendship with Theo van Doesburg, however, was the most influential on his artistic style. He inspired Dexel to pivot from Expressionist colors and shapes to a more abstract style, which is heavily influenced by the Dutch group De Stijl. The use of monochrome color fields, which create an intense interplay with their different colors and arrangements, became characteristic of Dexel’s work. Stylistically, Dexel marks an innovative transition from Cubism to Constructivism. Dexel left his profession as an artist after the Nazis seized power, only resuming his artistic work in the 1960s.

The works “Segelschiff” [Sailing Ship] and “Komposition aus P-Formen” [Composition of P-shapes] from 1971 are from Dexel’s second artistic period. Here he draws on motifs and themes that had already featured in his early works, e.g. the ship as a symbol of industrial production.

“Komposition aus P-Formen” is less figurative in comparison, yet the tension Dexel creates between the factors of color and shape is still striking. The P-shape recurs throughout the silkscreen in varying arrangements, directions, sizes, and colors, which decomposes the general vertical order of the piece. 

Biography 

1890 born in Munich • 1910-1914 studied Art History at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich under Heinrich Wölfflin and Fritz Burger • 1916-1928 Director of Exhibitions at the Jenaer Kunstverein • 1928-1935 taught Commercial Design and Cultural History at the Kunstgewerbe- and Handwerkerschule Magdeburg • 1933 joined the NSDAP • 1937 confiscation of Dexel’s art as “degenerate” • 1936-1942 Professor of Theoretical Art and Design at the Staatliche Hochschule for Kunsterziehung in Berlin • 1946 reinstatement as Professor • 1973 died in Braunschweig • Since 1997 the city of Jena has awarded the Walter-Dexel-Stipendium in his honor