The G. and A. Gercken Foundation and Collection
Since the 1950s Günther and Annemarie Gercken have been collecting contemporary prints, paintings and sculptures. In numerous publications these two art connoisseurs have also discussed the contents of the works they have collected.
Mr and Mrs Gercken are now giving a large part of their collection to a foundation that will be based at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. The foundation currently holds 30 paintings and more than 250 prints, and further works are to be added at a later date. To mark the establishment of the foundation, the Albertinum and the Kupferstich-Kabinett presented a selection from among this outstanding collection in an exhibition called "Sehgründe" in 2016.
The title “Sehgründe” is a reference to an introduction written by Günther Gercken for an exhibition of works by Gustav Kluge at the Kunstverein Göttingen in 1996.
quote
What would be the value of pictures,” says Günther Gercken in his summary, “if they did not express that which is unspoken and is unspeakable. They can teach us to look properly by making that visible which we do not see directly or do not wish to see. […] The canvases are ‘Sehgründe’ (visual grounds), which draw the viewer’s gaze into backgrounds and chasms.
Günther Gercken 1996 during an exhibition by Gustav Kluge at the Kunstverein Göttingen
[Translate to English:] Stiftung
The profound interest of Günther and Annemarie Gercken in the visual grounds of the fine arts is a recurrent theme extending throughout their very personal collection. The works selected for the Albertinum invite careful scrutiny and contemplation.
From our Online Collection
