This may not be Germany’s best moment, as the country faces growing economic and political challenges – from instability and polarization to anemia GDP growth (2025 is only 2025, according to the European Commission’s forecast), as well as structural weaknesses such as high energy costs (such as high energy costs), inadequate, underinvestment and over-reliance on exports. However, in these struggles, the German art world remains very resilient. Just this month, German artists declared their presence in New York at the main interdisciplinary moment. Anne Imhof is taking over the full takeover with the epic contemporary opera House of House of Hope, while a major new exhibition by photographer Andreas Gursky emphasizes the precision and scale that cements his position in the international art market. Gursky’s meticulous large-format image directed millions of dollars in record at auction – his 1999 job Rhine II Still the most expensive photo ever, making $4.3 million in 2011 from Christie’s $4.3 million. Meanwhile, German electronic pioneer Kraftwerk commemorates their fourth studio album, 50th Anniversary Autobahnand the first U.S. tour in 1975, which took place 30 city tours, including two concerts in New York from March 13 to 14.
Observer talks with Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers, founder of SprüthMagers, one of the few German galleries, while advocating international idols and some of Germany’s most influential contemporary artists. The gallery was founded in Cologne in the 1980s by Sprü and in 1998 with Magers. “Since the gallery opened in Cologne, we have been deeply rooted in the German art world and have also advocated international artists from the very beginning,” Magers told Observer. “Of course, globalization plays a big role in our business, and we see our priorities in the broader global system, but it’s still relevant to our roots.”
The gallery opened in the 1980s, when Germany was at the center of the international contemporary art world. Cities such as Cologne and Berlin have become global cultural centers, competing with New York and Paris. This was the era of “New Wild”, when German artists such as Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, Jörg Immendorff and Markus Lüpertz rose to international fame. In the 1970s, including capitalist realism artists, including Sigmar Polke and Gerhard Richter, their climbs were before Gerhard Richter, who shaped Germany’s reaction to Pop Art.
West Germany, in particular, became a key locus for art production, strengthened by strong government funding for museums and galleries that facilitated the exchange of global ideas. Institutions such as Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and Kunstmuseum Bonn have taken a leadership role in bringing contemporary international art to Germany, and Art Cologne is one of the most popular art fairs in Europe. Artists like Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman and Richard Prince were exhibited in Germany early in their careers, benefiting from their booming network of institutions and galleries.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked another turning point, expanding Germany’s artistic influence and cementing Berlin’s position as a global hotspot for artists in the 1990s. The city’s institutions and galleries, as well as the Berlin Biennale of Contemporary Art, use it as a fixture on the global art map.
Today, Art Week Berlin continues to attract collectors, with major institutions such as the hamburger Bahnhhof and Gropius Bau showing high-profile exhibitions with international artists. Nevertheless, Germany’s influence in the global art ecosystem has gradually declined in recent years. Rising cost of living in Berlin has driven many artists and creatives out of the city, while a large number of technical and financial professionals have poured into its cultural landscape. However, in each Venice Biennale, German artists left undeniable signs in the National Pavilion and presented provocative speeches in the National Pavilion. The 2017 pavilion of Anne Imhof, who won the Golden Lion Award, remains one of the most memorable pavilions in the event’s history. Imhof fundamentally transformed the German gazebo by installing raised glass floors, creating a layered, disturbing and psychologically charged space. At the feet of tourists, performers formulate a dystopian perspective, exploring the themes of surveillance, power and exclusion.
See also: Masculinity, Impressionism and the Third Republic – Getty Center opens up Gustav Kerebert’s world
Despite the changing art market and the ever-changing identity of Berlin, Monika Sprüth remains firmly convinced that Germany will continue to produce groundbreaking artists, a testament to the strong presence of German talent in New York this month. SprüthMagers stands for Anne Imhof and Andreas Gursky, the gallery has established a long-term relationship with Kraftwerk, the groundbreaking German band they invented electronic music and shaped music history. “Luckily, these three New York projects came from three different generations of artists, and happened almost simultaneously,” she said. “This shows that iconic and important figures continue to emerge from this cultural context.”
Despite recent political tensions and censorship threats, Germany continues to uphold a strong institutional system that supports the arts. “Traditionally, Germany had a strong collector and museum scene,” Sprüth explained. “These are the cornerstones of artist development and growth.” Nevertheless, over decades of experience, galleries like SprüthMagers, Max Hetzler and Michael Werner have played a crucial role in shaping the German contemporary art landscape and building a new generation of artists that have now gained international recognition.
Over the years, SprüthMagers have shown outstanding abilities to identify artists who can tolerate them. When asked what they were looking for among artists is a sign of success. Monika Sprüth was clear. “I think the most important question is who can survive the next century. It’s not about who is the best painter. It’s about who seizes and pushes the cultural moment forward, more about who.” Sprüth firmly believes that artists at large projects in New York this month embody this principle.
Nevertheless, as the art world becomes more global, SprüthMagers still have to drive growing pressures, competition and challenges. “Forty to fifty years ago, the art world was driven by the vision of artists, and the market was not so dominant,” Sprüth explained. “Now, there are more collectors, which is great, and more money – both can easily cause confusion on the quality of art for artists.” Magers added that when they started, the art market (or lacks the art market) was willing to go into the field, hoping to make a huge profit. “That was never a goal,” she said. “Being an artist at the time didn’t mean you would find fame or wealth; you did it to be part of the conversation.” But in today’s globalized economy, art is often seen as an asset in the portfolio. “However, the artists we choose to represent are still focused on this conversation, and we have been working hard to support their vision rather than succumbing to any market pressure. Our commitment to them is long-term. We plan to support them forever.”
SprüthMagers opened an outpost in New York in 2022, but the gallery is no stranger to the U.S. market, and he established his business in Los Angeles in 2014 and represented several major American artists. “New York has always been considered the center of the American art market. When we initially considered a location in the United States, Los Angeles was even more attractive because many of our artists lived and worked there, such as Barbara Kruger, Sterling Ruby, John Baldessari, etc. “We wanted to be close to them and represent them in their hometown.” Nearly 40 years later, they decided it was time to bring their artistic vision to New York. “It’s natural to showcase our plans in New York because we have a great connection with local collectors and institutions.”
On March 14, the gallery’s New York space will open a solo show by Andreas Gursky, a pioneer in contemporary photography known for his large-scale detailed work. “In his work, Andreas delves into the reality of our ever-changing planet, and he has been interested in topics such as globalization, consumerism and social phenomena,” Sprüth said. “Through this new show, he has a conversation with the work of old masters such as Pieter Bruegel the Elding to study how our collective memory, contemporary images relate to images of the past and how we see the world today.”
Just recently, George Condo held a two-part exhibition at the location in SprüthMagers, New York, where his latest work is divided between their space and the Soho Gallery of Hauser & Wirth. “Nancy Holt later that year after Andreas Gursky will be Rosemarie Trockel,” Margus said. “Mire Lee’s performance in Mire Lee in Los Angeles in September will be the main talk of her new work.” Meanwhile, the SprüthMagers’ London Gallery is showing Joseph Kosuth in mid-March, while in Berlin, they are preparing for the May Cyprien Gaillard and Kara Walker exhibitions in the fall.
