A German collecting couple have converted their private residence in Düsseldorf into a contemporary art complex housing an exhibition space and artist studios. Rosi and Rudolf Dahmen, a retired lawyer, have transformed a former squash centre in the centre of the city, into the 1,500 sq. m Privatsammlung gallery, which can be viewed by appointment.
“We intend to show temporary exhibitions, but not on a regular basis. There is no permanent curator. The artists will mainly curate these private exhibitions. It is about a dissolution of the private and public [aspects],” Rudolf Dahmen says.
The launch show is dedicated to two German artists, and includes 54 works by Gregor Schneider—including the sculptures Blauer Sack (2001) and Man (2004), and the photograph Cube Venice (2005)—as well as 20 sculptures, videos and photographs by Ralf Berger (until 28 August). Schneider says that the couple “live with their art. The boundary between private and public disappears in the building. The collection is even in the bedroom!”
The couple’s 1,000-strong collection includes works by Richard Long, Franz Erhard Walther, Sigmar Polke, Nina Canell, and Christian Boltanski. The Dahmens also run an art space in the town of Mönchengladbach in North-Rhine Westphalia, which incorporates both artist and music studios.