BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors

Infinite Interiors

Philara Collection – Dusseldorf, Germany

Kris Martin, ’Altar’, 2014. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Paul Schöpfer, Cologne
Kris Martin, ’Altar’, 2014. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Paul Schöpfer, Cologne

The Philara Collection in Düsseldorf can take a visitor by surprise in a number of ways. This is as true of the building that houses the collection as of the works it contains. Tucked away in a courtyard off Birkenstrasse, a street in the eastern part of the city where a number of small galleries have sprung up between the coffee shops and quality Turkish bakeries, one could be forgiven for walking past the Philara without noticing - I speak from experience. Once you make the correct turn into the courtyard, the building itself will stop you in your tracks. The collection’s home is an erstwhile glass production facility that was reimagined by the firm, Sieber Architects; the results are spectacular, not least in the ways in which the glass in the building is used to integrate the surroundings of the collection into the visual ecology of the space. Trains crossing the nearby railway bridge disappear into mirrors, such incongruities are hallmarks of the ethos behind the collection.

Alicja Kwade, ‘Kaminuhr’, 2014; ‘Gegen den Lauf (ref 13)’, 2014; Sebastian Riemer, ‘Double Duck Pitcher (McNally)’, 2014. Courtesy the artists and Philara Collection. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Dusseldorf
Alicja Kwade, ‘Kaminuhr’, 2014; ‘Gegen den Lauf (ref 13)’, 2014; Sebastian Riemer, ‘Double Duck Pitcher (McNally)’, 2014. Courtesy the artists and Philara Collection. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Dusseldorf
Philara Collection. Photo: Stefan Müller, Berlin
Philara Collection. Photo: Stefan Müller, Berlin

The Philara is the name given to the collection of Gil Bronner, which has, since the mid 1990s grown to more than 1 400 works. Bronner’s project spans media and form, encompassing works from recent history as well as looking ahead into the future of art in the Rhineland and beyond. Over its lifetime, the collection has shown exhibitions by a diverse range of local and international artists. Notable shows have included works by Alicja Kwade, Kris Martin, Friederich Kunath, Jorge Castillo, and the searing work of the Russian photographer, Boris Mikhailov.

Entering the gallery myself and finding Nicolas Guagnini and Leigh Ledare’s work Ana and Carl and Some Other Couples (2014) before me, which is constituted in part by a collection of volumes of major works of philosophy with their covers and contents chopped and swapped, I was reminded of the lines from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”: “I am large, I contain multitudes”. Guagnini and Ledare’s work, referencing the aesthetic of Carl Andre and his marriage to Ana Mendieta, for whose death Andre is widely believed to be responsible (which he denies), itself evokes multitudinous levels of interpretation, but ambition is not something for which the Philara Collection wants. When I visited, an engrossing and wide-ranging exhibition of Nevin Aldag’s work was taking place entitled “Social Fabric”. Aladag is an artist very much on the rise in Germany and “Social Fabric” offered a generous overview of Aladag’s multifaceted approach to materials, bringing together her “screen works” which resemble abacuses constructed with paving stones, strangely organic adventures with electronics cables, and a selection her signature fabric works.

Exhibition view at ’On Display II’, 2017. Courtesy the artists and Philara Collection. Photo: Paul Schöpfer, Cologne
Exhibition view at ’On Display II’, 2017. Courtesy the artists and Philara Collection. Photo: Paul Schöpfer, Cologne

One of the real delights of the Philara is the rooftop sculpture terrace. Making one’s way up the metal stairway leading to the upstairs galleries, the scale of the space again impresses itself on the viewer, galleries open onto galleries like matryoska dolls, and, when the viewer encounters the terrace, the space transforms yet again to something almost Californian in its scale and hauteur. Returning inside, the sense of a change in the aesthetic cabin pressure was palpable, not least upon entering one of the highlights of the collection, a massive sculptural installation, entitled Artichoke Underground by Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe. To call Freeman and Lowe’s work immersive is an understatement. The viewer progresses through its labyrinthine rooms to find waiting rooms and restaurants, all unmanned but with an unresolved air which could see staff returning with in minutes from a cigarette break or departed in more permanent, post-apocalyptic ways. It wasn’t entirely easy finding my way out, but standing back in the main gallery of the Philara, the work seemed an exemplar for Bronner’s larger project, to explore the multitudinous expressions of contemporary art, from inside as well as outside.

William Kherbek is the author of the novel "Ecology of Secrets" (2013, Arcadia Missa) and "UltraLife" (2016, Arcadia Missa). His art journalism has appeared in a number of publications in the UK, US, Germany, Switzerland and Romania.

All images courtesy Philara Collection, Dusseldorf

More Information on Philara Collection

Collections (135)

Saloni Doshi Collection

The Right to Look- Photographs from the Saloni Doshi Collection.

BRAUNSFELDER / FAMILY COLLECTION

Curated exhibitions of emerging and established artistic positions in the space of a former fittings factory.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART HELGA DE ALVEAR

One of the most relevant international contemporary art collections in Europe.

The Donum Collection

One of the world's largest accessible private sculpture collections

BASMOCA

One of the many initiatives of the Basma Al Sulaiman collection.

Zuzāns Collection

The largest private collection of Latvian art

ARtBON Collection and Foundation

Contemporary art is presented in a surprising way – and enriched by a blue exhibition pavilion

Museum Insel Hombroich

A unique cultural space of international significance

The Ojikutu Collection

Exquisite showcase of treasures of African art, culture, and history

miramART Collection

A non profit association created by Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy

Zeitz MOCAA

Collection relooked in 'Two Together'

AUDAIN ART MUSEUM

A leading arts organization based in Whistler, British Columbia

NEWM ART COLLECTION

A diverse collection of contemporary art

The Sotiris Felios Collection

A unique collection of contemporary art focused on the human figure.

Collezione De Iorio

Interview with Collector Mauro De Iorio

Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

KNMA is a non-commercial, not-for-profit organisation that aims to bridge the gap between art and the public

THE FARJAM FOUNDATION

One of the world’s foremost privately-owned art collections encompassing Islamic, Middle Eastern and Western art.

Colección SOLO

A collection displayed through different temporary exhibitions

COLLEZIONE TAURISANO

Unique Collection based in Naples, Italy

A PRIVATE COLLECTION

Frankfurt based Art Collector Tyrown Vincent on his 360° approach

The Bradshaw Collection

A collector couple that profits from the bundled synergy of their highly developed feel for art

Schlosspark Eybesfeld

Carefully executed art projects in a palace-garden setting

The Fernanda Feitosa & Heitor Martins Collection

A journey into the postwar Brazilian art scene

Takahashi Ryutaro Collection

One of the most important collections of contemporary Japanese art

Barjeel Art Foundation

Modern and contemporary art from four corners of the Arab world

The Perimeter

Famous contemporaries and Victorian industrial architecture in Bloomsbury

Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens

Re-opened and in the middle of Flanders, international art stars show in quick succession

West Collection

Key names in international art meet new voices

Rubell Museum

Curator Joey Lico teams up with artist Alexis Diaz to visit the mighty Rubell Museum in Miami

Vorres Museum

3 000 years of Greek history and postwar Greek art

Alexander Ramselaar Collection

A townhouse of young talent from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and around the world

Quetzal Art Centre

Contemporary art on a winery in the picturesque Alentejo region

Sammlung Wemhöner

A spontaneous exhibition set up in the now empty ballroom, before opening in 2023 as the collection's new home

Museum Liaunig

Nuriel Molcho and Francesca Gavin travel out of Vienna to hillside Carinthia, to meet with Peter Liaunig

Frissiras Museum

3 500 contemporary figurative paintings

Arario Museum in Space

Wide-ranging collection of Korean and Western art by the country’s leading collector and gallerist

Fondazione Brodbeck

Contemporary art in a post-industrial complex—in the shadow of a volcano

Peyrassol—Parc de Sculptures

A sculpture park on a centuries-old vineyard in Provence

Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung

A location for contemporary glass and photography

Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat

Argentina's wealthiest woman presents six centuries of art-treasure collecting

Museum Brandhorst

Francesca Gavin and Benjamin Jaworskyj explore a dazzling new space in Munich

Rossini Art Site (RAS)

Large-scale sculpture in a landscape park

Castello di Ama per l’Arte Contemporanea

Site-specific installations for a dual passion: art and wine

Kasteel Wijlre Estate

Art from the 1960s to the present in a modern pavilion

Fundació Vila Casas

Three buildings, three points of focus: painting, sculpture and photography

Gibbs Farm

A sculpture park in XXL format with monumental art in the grandness of nature

Kloster Schoenthal

Nature-inspired sculptures in a pristine landscape

Pinchuk Art Centre

Blue-chip contemporary in the first private museum in the former USSR

Museo James Turrell — The Hess Art Collection, Colomé

Turrell’s largest Skyspace and additional light rooms in breathtaking surroundings

Kunst(Zeug)Haus

An extensive private collection of Swiss contemporary art of the last fifty years

Mathaf—Arab Museum of Modern Art

A Royal Collection Spanning 200 Years of Arab Art – Doha, Qatar

KaviarFactory

DJ Cassy and Francesca Gavin meet with collectors Venke and Rolf A. Hoff in Henningsvær, Norway

Stella Art Foundation

An exhibition space for contemporary Russian art

Sara Piccinini

Senior Coordinator, Collezione Maramotti - Reggio Emilia, Italy

Reflection and Speculation

Sammlung von Kelterborn – Frankfurt, Germany

Deichtorhallen Hamburg – Sammlung Falckenberg

Positions of social criticism in German and American contemporary art – Hamburg, Germany

The Walther Collection

Inside and Outside the Frame – Neu Ulm, Germany

Peter Ibsen Collection

Minimalist Works That Hone Your Sense for Detail – Copenhagen, Denmark

Initiating Dialogues

Sammlung Hoffmann – Berlin, Germany

The Mallin Collection & Buckhorn Sculpture Park

Andrea Denver and Francesca Gavin meet with collectors Sherry and Joel Mallin in Upstate New York

The Agah Uğur Collection

One of the Largest Video Art Collections in Istanbul, Turkey

KA Modern and Contemporary Art Space

900 Square Meters Dedicated to Lebanon’s Most Significant Artists – Beirut, Lebanon

Art About Beauty and Infirmity

Collezione De Iorio – Trento & Verona, Italy

Living Collection

Gary Yeh and Francesca Gavin meet with architect and collector William Lim in Hong Kong

Early Passions

Z Collection – Hong Kong, China

Papko Art Collection

Works of Turkish Modernism at the legendary Ralli Apartment in Istanbul

Risky Business

Astrup Fearnley Museet – Oslo, Norway

Something Special, Something Sacred

The Goss-Michael Foundation – Dallas, United States of America

JAHM – Justin Art House Museum

Digital and Abstract Art — Melbourne, Australia

A More Democratic Art

MACBA – Museum of Contemporary Art of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Embracing the Accidental

Trajković Collection – Belgrade, Serbia

Galila's P.O.C.

A Collection Made up of Thematic Collections – Brussels, Belgium

Establishing Roots and Creating Links

The Ovidiu Șandor Collection – Timișoara, Romania

Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz

Abstract painting and concept art in Brazil’s interior – São Paulo

Conversation Pieces

KUNSTSAELE Berlin – Berlin, Germany

Magazzino Italian Art

Contemporary Italian Art on the Hudson River – New York

Slow Learning

de la Cruz Collection – Miami, United States of America

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa

A venue for contemporary African art – Cape Town

The Elliott Eyes Collection

Engaging With the Collectors – Sydney

Foundation Francès

A French roadtrip reaching the radical reflections of artist Kader Attia

The Sublime Hyacinth Collection

Czech Art Meets Czech Design – Prague, Czech Republic

Marciano Art Foundation

Contemporary art at the Masonic temple – Los Angeles

Time Stamps

Julia Stoschek Collection – Berlin, Germany

Generative Grammars

Servais Family Collection – Brussels, Belgium

Chasing the Future

dslcollection – Paris, France

Charged Atmospheres

Transformer Station – Cleveland, United States of America

Places in, and out of, Time

Adrastus Collection – Arévalo, Spain

Eloquent Silences

The Givon Art Forum – Tel Aviv, Israel

Counting to Ten

Ten Cubed – Melbourne, Australia

Dispersing Narratives

The Wedge Collection – Toronto, Canada

Dialogues in Nature

Chatsworth – Bakewell, Great Britain

Present Pasts

The Feuerle Collection – Berlin, Germany

Space for the Future

The Vanhaerents Art Collection – Brussels, Belgium

Colección Contemporánea

A Global Collection from a Seasoned Art Collector In Mexico City

Adrastus Collection

A Collection That Shows the Diversity of Art in the Age of Globalization – Arevalo, Spain

Masters and Romantics

Collection Lambert – Avignon, France

Fondazione Rolla

A Collection of Modern and Contemporary Photography in Ticino

Finnish Rhapsody

Didrichsen Art Museum – Helsinki, Finland

Cranford Collection

One of Europe’s Most Important Collections with Renowned Contemporaries in Regent’s Park – London

Broad Minded

Artist Tomasz Kobialka on The Broad – Los Angeles, USA

Jean-Paul Najar Foundation

European-American Post-Minimalist Art in a Bauhaus-inspired building – Dubai

Treasure Hunt

The Wanås Foundation/Wanås Konst – Knislinge, Sweden

AMC Collezione Coppola

A Curious Collector Acquiring Art to Broaden his Understanding of the World

A Home for Light and Color

MALBA – Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires

Newport Street Gallery

Damien Hirst’s ‘Murderme’ Collection finds a permanent home – London

Franks Suss Collection

A Duo Investing in Artists and Not Cashing In – Hong Kong, London and Sydney

Mallin Collection & Buckhorn Sculpture Park

A Magic Sculpture Garden in Westchester County – Pound Ridge, New York

Shine On

Wurlitzer – Berlin-Pied-à-Terre Collection – Berlin, Germany

Houghton Hall – King's Lynn

Lavish 18th Century interiors juxtaposed with contemporary outdoor sculpture

Venet Foundation

An Artist’s Take on Collecting in the South of France

G2 Kunsthalle

Large-scale paintings of the New Leipzig School in dialogue

The Immaculate Collection

Igal Ahouvi Art Collection – Tel Aviv, Israel

dslcollection

The best of Chinese contemporary art, available 24/7/365

Thoma Foundation

Two intimate art spaces in Chicago and Santa Fe encourage dialogue between work and viewer

Lyon Housemuseum

Located near Melbourne, Australia, collector Corbett Lyon designed the Housemuseum to share it with the public

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Inhotim – Instituto de Arte Contemporânea e Jardim Botânico

Portraiture Confronting a Land’s Traumatic Past

The Walther Collection – Project Space New York – New York City

Conceptual Authenticity

Sammlung Barbara und Axel Haubrok - haubrok projects - Berlin, Germany

A Self-taught Collector

Vass Collection - Veszprém, Hungary

Roots in Rotterdam

Concordia Collection - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Louvre goes Lens – and Pinault follows

How France’s most established museum and collector are redeveloping forgotten places

History Reinvented

Insights into the influential collection of Martin Parr

A Collection Which Never Sleeps

David Roberts Art Foundation – Great Britain, London

Get Lucky

David Walsh and his MONA

An Eye into a Secret World

SIP Shpilman Institute for Photography – Tel Aviv, Israel

Gifts for Philadelphia

Private collectors with a generous heart

A New Home for Miami’s Art Scene

On the opening of the Jorge M. Pérez Museum

Prima Materia at Punta Della Dogana

François Pinault Foundation - Venice, Italy

Eric and Jean Cass Collection

A private collection goes public

Bernardo Paz’s Transformative Museum

A closer look at Inhotim in Brazil

The Open Road to Jupiter

Robert & Nicky Wilson - Jupiter Artland

Collecting with an Impact

Dakis Joannou - Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art

Menil Collection Makeover

Starting with the parking lot

White Rabbit Collection

Chinese Contemporary Art – Australia, Sydney