Art Madrid'25 – THE GIFTS OF HERMANN AND MAGRIT RUPF

Hermann and Margrit Rupf, on the Brückfeldstrasse 27, in Bern, 1950s. Photo: © Kurt Blum / Fotostiftung Schweiz

 

 

Hermann and Magrit Rupf, two collectors of Swiss origin, made it very clear from the beginning what their artistic tastes were. A firm commitment to abstract and contemporary art, from there was born one of the largest collections of these currents worldwide. This exhibition is the first time he arrives in Spain. The creations date from 1907 to 2016. The 70 works bring together the great masters of the first half of the XX century. After the death of Herman Rupf, these precious works continued to be treasured under the mantle of a foundation with his name.

 

 

Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881-Mougins, France, 1973). Head of man (Tête d'homme), 1908. Oil on wood. 27 x 21 cm. Hermann und Margrit Rupf-Stiftung, Kunstmuseum Bern. © Succession Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2016

 

 

The names of the most outstanding artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, Fernand Léger, Paul Klee or Wassily Kandinsky, are currently in the Guggenheim. In 1954 the Rupf Foundation was founded, dedicated to the conservation, consolidation and expansion of these funds, which were deposited at the Kunstmuseum Bern in the early 1960's. The rest of its heritage was also donated to the foundation to ensure the Legacy of collectors.

 

André Derain (Chatou, France, 1880-Garches, France, 1954). Landscape near Cassis (Paysage aux environs de Cassis), 1907. Oil on canvas. 33x 41cm. Hermann und Margrit Rupf-Stiftung, Kunstmuseum Bern. © André Derain, VEGAP, Bilbao, 2016

 

The projected exhibition in three rooms, covers the whole course of this obtainment of works. The first part exhibits the pieces obtained in the Parisian gallery of a great friend of Hermann, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. Also, from others bought in London due to his travels by work matters. In 1910 he married Magrit Rupf and both together with the advice of this friend / adviser began this journey toward collecting.

 


The second room, shows its acquisitions in the years after the first World War. One of the characteristics to take into account is the little difference between the year of creation and the year of obteinment. One of the gifts that offers us this event, is the evolution of a mythical artist such as Juan Gris.

 

Room 307, which includes works dating from the closing of the Dessau Bauhaus, Paul Klee, who later moved to Bern, served to strengthen his relationship with collectors. The two stars of the exhibition are August Macke's "Summer terrace" (Gartenrestaurant, 1912) and Ewald Mataré's "Lie Down" (Liegende Kuh, 1925) (room 305), both from the historic auction "paintings and sculptures Of modern masters coming from German museums. "

 

 

Juan Gris (Madrid, 1887-Boulogne-Billancourt, France, 1927). Book and pipe (Livre et pipe), 1925. Oil on canvas. 27 x 35 cm. Hermann und Margrit Rupf-Stiftung, Kunstmuseum Bern

 

 

Didaktika completes this staging, with information on the opening philosophy and the peculiar lifestyle of the couple of Swiss origin. Also documentary images of personal character and of professional scope that make of historical document of the Parisian and Berlinesa society. This contribution as an encyclopedia can be enjoyed until April 23, 2017. Curated by Susanne Friedli, Hermann Foundation and Margrit Rupf, and Petra Joos, it is a tour of the most relevant art of S.XX.

 

 

 

From July 7 to 9, 2025, the Balsera Palace will host the First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art, an intensive 15-hour program that will explore the complex and fundamental question of taste in contemporary art. Organized by the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities at Nebrija University and the Avilés City Council, in collaboration with 9915 — Association of Private Collectors of Contemporary Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art, the course offers a unique opportunity for analysis and debate on the dynamics that shape aesthetic and symbolic value in today’s art scene.


First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art. Avilés, Asturias


The notion of taste, intrinsically tied to aesthetic judgments and power relations, has played a decisive role in the historical prominence of artists and artworks. However, contemporary art—marked by its breaking of conventions, diversity of media and techniques, and critical stance toward traditional canons—raises fundamental questions about the continued relevance of this concept.

This course will explore how the decisions made by key players in the art system—institutions, private collections, galleries, curators, and artists—continually redefine a field of taste shaped by aesthetic, symbolic, cultural, social, and political logics.


"¿But does it exist, and what is the prevailing taste of our time—so seemingly confused, fragmented, indecipherable?" - Omar Calabrese, The Neo-Baroque Era.


The academic program, directed by José Luis Guijarro Alonso, Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University, and Pablo Álvarez de Toledo, Head of the Department of Arts at Nebrija University and the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities, will bring together a distinguished group of national experts—including collectors, critics, curators, gallery owners, and artists—whose contributions will address key issues in shaping aesthetic, symbolic, and market value in today’s art world.


PROGRAM

MONDAY, JULY 7

9:30 AM Registration.

10:00 AM Course Opening Nebrija University Avilés City Council Presented by Rosario López Meras – President of the Association of Contemporary Art Collectors, 9915, and Adrián Piera – President of the ICA, Institute of Contemporary Art.

10:30 AM Course Presentation By José Luis Guijarro Alonso – Art Historian and Anthropologist, Researcher, and Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion The Taste of Private Collecting as a Prelude to History. Speakers: Candela Álvarez Soldevilla – Entrepreneur and Collector; Javier Quilis – INELCOM Collection; José Miguel Vegas Valle – Collector. Moderator: Luis Feás – Critic and Curator.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Individual Lecture On Good Taste in Contemporary Art. Speaker: Marisol Salanova – Curator and Art Critic, Director of Arteinformado.

4:45 PM Panel Discussion The Influence of Galleries in Shaping Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Elba Benítez – Gallerist; Ricardo Pernas – Gallerist (Arniches 26); Aurora Vigil-Escalera – Gallerist. Moderator: Rafael Martín – Coleccion@casamer.

6:00 PM End of Day.

6:30 PM Activity and Cocktail Visit to the Exhibition Asturian Artists in the Pérez Simón Collection – Avilés.

TUESDAY, JULY 8

10:00 AM Individual Lecture Contemporary (Bad) Taste: Kitsch, Camp, and Tacky. Speaker: Julio Pérez Manzanares – Autonomous University of Madrid.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion Institutions and the Formation of Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Virginia López – Artist, Founder of PACA_Proyectos Artísticos Casa Antonino; Julieta de Haro – Artistic Director of CentroCentro; Carlos Urroz – Director of Institutional Relations, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Moderator: Laura Gutiérrez – Director, School of Art of Oviedo.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Panel Discussion Beyond the Eye: The Taste for Ethical, Ecological, Social, or Political Concerns in Contemporary Art. Speakers: Semíramis González – Independent Curator; Eugenio Ampudia – Artist; Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga – Independent Curator. Moderator: Bárbara Mur Borrás – PhD in Fine Arts.

5:00 PM End of Day.

5:30 PM Activity Visit to the Studiolo Exhibition – Candela Álvarez Soldevilla Collection.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9

9:30 AM Meeting with Asturian Artists Speakers: María Castellanos – Artist; Avelino Sala – Artist; Consuelo Vallina – Artist. Moderator: Pablo Álvarez de Toledo – Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Activity Visit to the Niemeyer Center – Avilés.

Course Closing Ceremony.





This course is designed for art professionals, collectors, researchers, and students seeking an in-depth analysis of the dynamics that shape taste and collecting practices in contemporary art. Adopting a critical and multidisciplinary perspective, it provides a unique opportunity to rigorously examine the aesthetic, symbolic, and structural factors that underpin the legitimization of contemporary art.