Neo Rauch, Plattenbau, 1997. Deutsche Bank Collection
© courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin und David Zwirner, New York/London; Foto: Uwe Walter, Berlin
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5,000 euros for the Berlin Palace: Neo Rauch’s oil sketch Plattenbau (Prefabricated Building) is one of the highest-priced items being sold at the charity auction being held by the auction house Lempertz
in the Italian Embassy in Berlin. In the auction, a six-digit amount
was collected for the reconstruction of the baroque façade of the
palace. Rauch’s work from the Deutsche Bank Collection shows an
ensemble of East German Plattenbauten (prefabricated slab buildings) between monochrome
abstract forms – a typical motif in the celebrated painter’s oeuvre. In
addition to this artwork, Deutsche Bank also donated an exclusive visit
to the Villa Romana artist’s house in Florence and VIP tickets for the
preview of two of the world’s most important art fairs, Frieze London
and Frieze New York.
“Give Berlin back its face!” Under this
slogan, the Berlin Palace Foundation is committed to rebuilding the
palace in the center of Berlin, which was demolished in 1950. The
reconstruction of the baroque façade is not being financed from tax
money and 80 million euros will be needed in the not-so-distant future.
The palace is to be inaugurated as the Humboldt Forum in September
2019, commemorating the 250th anniversary of Alexander von Humboldt’s
birth. The new building, which will house a center for international
culture, art, science, and education, is regarded as Germany’s most
ambitious project at present.
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