LEIPZIG.- From 2008 to early 2010, the GfZK is dedicated to the topic of private commitment to art. Eleven private individuals and companies have been invited to present their activities in the form of exhibitions. Those involved are given ‘carte blanche’, i.e. it is left entirely up to them how they interpret the assignment and with which curators they want to work. In return, they cover all the costs arising from their projects.

Brigitte and Arend Oetker show works from their collection. Arend Oetker began by collecting works from the early classical modern period with pieces ranging from George Grosz to Otto Dix. This emphasis, however soon shifted towards artists from Gugging such as Johann Hauser, Art Brut and the Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli, early works from Günter Brus, Hermann Nitsch, Arnulf Rainer and later Franz West.

In the 1980s Brigitte Oetker met artists such as Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Günther Förg, Isa Genzken, Martin Kippenberger, Hanno Otten, Thomas Struth, Wolfgang Tillmans, Andreas Schulze, Marcel Odenbach, Rosmarie Trockel, Franz West, who at the time were just beginning their art careers. Her work was closely related to the art scene in Cologne in the 1980s and 1990s.

The range of their interests is not just on a national level, but also on internationally shaped artists such as Richard Artschwager, John Baldessari, Alighiero Boetti, Mike Kelley, Louise Lawler and Jorge Pardo. Later artists include Ellen Gallagher and Wade Guyton. Both Brigitte & Arend Oetker are interested also in the work of artists like Richard Wright, Jeppe Hein, David Zink Yi, Tue Greenfort, Bojan Sarcevic, Takehito Koganezawa and Fikret Atay.

Their collection also includes some of the artists of the early classical modern period such as Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Max Ernst.

Brigitte Oetker studied History, Literature and Art History in Aachen and Rome. From 1984 through to 1990 she worked in Cologne as the Director of the Cultural Committee of German Business within the BDI e.V. and for the ARA, The Association for Cultural Affairs in Foreign Countries. Since 1989, on behalf of the Cultural Committee, she has published the sub-sequent annual ›Yearbook for Modern Art‹. From 1993 to 1998, together with Mechthild von Dannenberg and Christiane Schneider, Brigitte Oetker was responsible for the project ›Art in the Leipzig Messe‹, Leipzig. This was a permanent installation of 25 renowned international artists created especially for the New Fair. 1998 saw Brigitte Oetker, with Christiane Schneider, curate the exhibition ›MAI 98‹ in the Josef-Haubrich-Art Hall, Cologne. Since 2007 she has been a professor for the ›creative processes in the formation of art‹ for the Institute of Culture and Media Management in Hamburg. On top of the above, she holds an honorary appointment with the Art House, Villa Romana, historical art Max Planck Institute both in Florence. In Berlin she holds a similar position in ›Büro Friedrich e.V‹, the Humboldt University and the Charité Foundation.

Arend Oetker is an entrepreneur. He studied Economics Management, Political Science in Hamburg, Cologne and Berlin. He has established numer-ous development associations notably in Schleswig, Lübeck, Kiel, Hildesheim and Bielefeld. The Friends of the Busch-Reisinger Museum in Harvard was founded through his initiative. He holds an honorary position on numerous boards and institutions. Besides being involved in economic and political institutions, Arend Oetker is also the President of the Donors Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities, Vice Chairman ofThe Cultural Affairs Foundation of German Business, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a member of the board of the Friends of the National Gallery, Berlin, The Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, Aachen, and the German Music Foundation, Hamburg. In 1990, together with Klaus Werner, he founded the Museum of Contemporary Art and was until 2002 a partner. Since the GfZK has become a foundation he has become the chairman of the foundation board.

Artists: Richard Artschwager, Fikret Atay, John Baldessari, Alighiero Boetti, William Copley, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Dan Flavin, Ellen Gallagher, Isa Genzken, Wade Guyton, Mike Kelley, Martin Kippenberger, Takehito Koganezawa, Hanno Otten, Jorge Pardo, Blinky Palermo, Andreas Schulze, Rosemarie Trockel, Franz West, David Zink Yi.