4. Floor 1997-1998: A.R.Penck, Standart Modell, 1968; Jean-Michel Basquiat, Levétation, 1987; Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1987; Frank Stella, Of Whales, in paint, in teeth…, 1990
Artists
Rolf and Erika Hoffmann began acquiring artworks in the sixties—not with any strategic direction, but solely according to their personal taste and interest. The collection, then, unites works by artists of various generations and nationalities. Due to the proximity of their home, Mönchengladbach, to Düsseldorf and the art scene there, it was at first German artists belonging to the Gruppe ZERO [Group ZERO] (Günther Uecker, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene) whose ideas and works they encountered. With more frequent trips to the U.S., American artists (Frank Stella, Bruce Nauman, Mike Kelley, Fred Sandback) joined this group; then, after their move to Berlin in 1997, the Hoffmanns became increasingly interested in Eastern Europe and Asia. Thus works by, for example, Teresa Murak (Poland), Hiroshi Sugimoto (Japan) and Fang Lijun (China) may be found in the collection.
Other artists who shape to the diverse character of the Collection are Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bill Beckley, Marcel Broodthaers, Felix Droese, Günher Förg, Isa Genzken, Nan Goldin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, François Morellet, Arnulf Rainer, Gerhard Richter, and Andy Warhol, among others.