Art Madrid'23 – 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.

 

 

 

In the year 2020 in the heart of Barcelona a wandering gallery was born, the same one that in February 2021 would debut at Art Madrid with an exhibition proposal focused on contemporary portraits; with this subject matter it would manage to create a powerful dialogue between artwork and audience and make the seal Inéditad remain in the history of the event that contained it.

Jean Carlos Puerto. Protección. Oil and copper leaf on wood. 60 x 48. 2021. Image courtesy of the gallery.

Since that first time and until today, the wandering gallery has managed to build projects on otherness, has repositioned in the spotlight the discourses on the LGTBIQ+ collective, has consolidated a group of artists who share its principles of resilience and empathy and the best thing is that it continues to bet from the professionalism and commitment to give voice to the difference.

Claudio Petit-Laurent.. El Joven de la Perla. Oil on wood. 30 x 30 cm. 2023. Image courtesy of the gallery.

Inéditad Gallery, thanks to its founder Luis López, its collaborators and the infinite possibilities manifested in the works of the artists it represents, is a gallery that has demonstrated its capacity and courage to stimulate the sensibility of the public through art and seduce a generation that moves between the glass window and the analogical story. Inéditad is a nomadic gallery that has gathered around it a community of artists and has moved the context with exhibition projects that think about LGTBIQ+ art without prejudices.

Pepa Salas Vilar. Las marcas del arcoiris. Oil on canvas. 40 x 50 cm. 2022. Image courtesy of the gallery.

Pride and Prejudice was inaugurated. An exhibition that brings together the works of sixteen artists: Abel Carrillo, Alex Domènech, Carlos Enfedaque, Silvia Flechoso, Jamalajama, Daniel Jaén, Claudio Petit-Laurent, Jean Carlos Puerto, Fernando Romero, Pablo Rodríguez, Pepa Salas Vilar, Jack Smith, Pablo Sola, Bran Sólo, Elia Tomás and Utürüo. Painting, illustration, photography and digital art are the manifestations that bring into dialogue around fifty neatly threaded pieces, in a discursive line that discusses such a latent phenomenon as discrimination. To achieve this, the artists invited to the exhibition question themselves whether: Does discrimination exist within the LGTBIQ+ collective?

Pride and Prejudice Official Poster. Image courtesy of the gallery.

With approaches on and from the body, the proposal invites to celebrate diversity, proposes to question and self-question the prejudices and attitudes of society against the collective. Pride and Prejudice is a space for dialogue about the constructs imposed on us by society. It is also an oasis in which to deconstruct with tolerance and respect the subjectivities that sometimes prevent us from approaching the production of the participating artists, simply because "the beautiful" does not fit in an androgynous body. The subjugation of stereotypes are pressed with determination to find the beauty of diversity in other palpable facets of reality.

Pablo Sola. All men are dogs. Photography. 2014. Image courtesy of the gallery.

Throughout these three years Inéditad has stimulated the vindictive projection towards bad practices, has questioned estates around the LGTBIQ+ body and the most admirable thing, is that these capacities have resurfaced around the dialogue and the visual narrative of the stories that are told from the visual: Artworks that are people, art that is, per se, humanity. Overcome impositions and accept what is different in order to continue fighting against homophobia, biphobia, lesbophobia or transphobia and defend the equal rights that all the acronyms of the collective deserve in our community.

That's Pride and Prejudice: One creature, the happiest in the world. And maybe other projects and other people have said it - or felt it - before, but none so fairly.

Silvia Flechoso. Hola, soy maricón. Oil on canvas. 73 x 54 cm. 2023. Image courtesy of the gallery.

From June 8th until June 22nd you can visit Pride and Prejudice. Carrer de Palau núm. 4. Canal Gallery space. Barcelona.