FOCUS ASIA

'FOCUS ASIA. Insights into the Wemhöner Collection'

"The art that I encounter and surround myself with enhances my quality of life. It
gives me strength and inspires me.“ (Heiner Wemhöner, 2011).

Heiner Wemhöner, owner of the family-owned enterprise Wemhöner Surface Technologies and President to the Circle of Friends of the MARTa museum in Herford, has been interested in art since the late 90ies. Inspired by the encounters with artcollector couple Teutloff and the founding director of the MARTa, Jan Hoet, he shortly after started to buy the first art works. Driven by his growing fascenation, Wemhöner continued to build up his collection, assembling works from Europe as well as from Asia. Today, the Wemhöner collection comprises e.g. paintings from Sandro Chia and prints from Richard Serra alongside with sculptures by Tony Cragg and photographs by Chi Peng.

It was only in 2005, Wemhöner found his access to Asian art while he was travelling to Shanghai in search of a subsidiary for his company.

With his book FOCUS ASIA, the collector Heiner Wemhöner is granting the first insights into his multi-facetted art collection. As the first volume of a planned publication series, FOCUS ASIA will be released in parallel to the Frankfurt Book Fair by Kerber. The publication will officially be introduced and presented on October 19th, 2011 at the Berlin-based China Club.

As the title announces, this publication not only includes sculptures, pictures and photographic works created by artists living in Asia, but also other works, created outside Asia but with links to Asian traditions. Western art movements, like Pop Art from the USA, have, for their part, had an undeniable influence on the practice of Asian artists
.
In her comments, the China expert Ulrike Münter examines East-West correspondences in the works and thus places them within the context of art history and of the work of each respective artist.

Artists:
Nobuyoshi Araki, Che Yu, Chi Peng, Don Mingguang, Gonkar Gyatso, Hai Bo, Josef Hoflehner, Hong Lei, Hu Jieming, Jean-Baptiste Huynh, island6, Ji Wenyu, Isaac Julien, Lü Song, André Masson, Hiroyuki Masuyama, Martin McMurray, Michael Najjar, Bettina Pousttchi, RongRong & inri, Richard Serra, Shi Jing, Shi Yong, Shi Xinning, Wang Shugang, Wang Yin, Wang Zhiyuan, Wei Guangqing, Wu Shanzhuan & Inga Svala Thorsdottier, Xiang Liqing, Yang Fudong, Yin Xiuzhen, Yue Minjun, Zhang Dali, Zhao Bandi, Zhou Tiehai, Zuoxiao Zuzhou.

FOCUS ASIA. Insights into the Wemhöner Collection, published by Kerber, edited by Philipp Bollmann, with texts by Ulrike Münter; German and English, 24 x 28 cm, 200 pages, with numerous illustrations, hardcover, bound, with dust-jacket, Price: 36,00€. More info: http://dinter-pr.de

... Isaac Julien

... Isaac Julien

... Zuoxiao Zuzhou u. a.

... Zhou Tiehai

... Michael Najjar

... Nobuyushi Araki

... Ji Wenyu

... Josef Hoflehner

... Bettina Pousttchi

... RongRong & inri

... Yue Minjun

... Gonkar Gyatso

... Zhao Bandi

... Zhang Dali