Core of the Art Collection:
Focus on Modernism and Its Legacy

Past in View, Modernism in the Room

A central focus of the LIVING BAUHAUS Art Foundation’s collection lies on the art of classical modernism – including its reception up to the present day. Special attention is given to those artists who were persecuted, defamed, or driven into exile between 1933 and 1945. The collection is further enriched by 20th- and 21st-century photography, including works by Frank Worth and Tom Lemke. Within the framework of “1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany”, the foundation presented photographs of Weimar-era Berlin.

Between Closeness and Distance – Tom Lemke’s Portrait of Berlin

The LIVING BAUHAUS Art Foundation holds the largest collection of portrait works by the late Berlin photographer Tom Lemke (1958–2017). His large-format portraits of both famous and unknown contemporaries — from Udo Lindenberg to anonymous sitters — appear distant and formally austere through their black backgrounds, rigid gazes, and uniform clothing. At the same time, his masterful use of lighting, close-ups, and technical precision creates an almost intimate sense of proximity. This tension defines the fascination of the series. Lemke, the enfant terrible of Berlin’s art scene, embodied the city’s wild spirit of the 2000s. The exhibition at Schloss Bärenklau is dedicated to his work.

Joan Miró – The Poetry of Signs

“How did I come up with all the ideas for my paintings? I saw things. Appearances on the ceiling …” — this is how Joan Miró described the origins of his imagery. The Catalan artist is world-renowned for his poetic use of color and the dreamlike ease with which he translated elementary signs — sun, moon, stars — into magical pictorial spaces. His 1953 depiction of a hand follows this principle: seemingly simple, yet profoundly symbolic. Miró’s works open the view into an inner universe — full of imagination, intuition, and luminous clarity. The work La main by Joan Miró is regularly loaned by the foundation for public exhibitions.

Norbert Bisky – Body. Conflict. Composition.

The LIVING BAUHAUS Art Foundation owns a selected collection of works by Berlin painter Norbert Bisky. His powerful, often fragmentary visual worlds move between beauty and destruction, seduction and violence. With vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and an unmistakable style, Bisky ranks among Germany’s most important contemporary artists. The collection comprises works from various creative phases, offering an impressive insight into Bisky’s engagement with the body, ideology, and individual freedom.

Andy Warhol – Icon of Pop Art

Andy Warhol’s standing in the art market is undisputed — which makes a precise curatorial selection all the more important. The LIVING BAUHAUS Art Foundation’s collection focuses on Warhol’s color-intensive Pop Art works, as well as iconic, style-defining motifs of his oeuvre. It also includes signed drawings with color accents from the 1960s and 70s. The collection thus emphasizes quality and relevance — showcasing works that continue to make Warhol’s influence on art history visible today.