World-class art up for auction at Herrenhausen Palace (October 13, 2014)

Christiane Gräfin zu Rantzau, head of Christie’s Germany, will be auctioning off approximately 40 paintings, works on paper, photographs, and sculptures live in the auditorium starting at 6 p.m. These works have been provided for the auction by renowned artists, their estate administrators, gallery owners, or collectors. Approximately the same number of items will also be offered in a “silent auction.” The selection includes works by top-tier artists such as Georg Baselitz, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Herbert Brandl, Rainer Fetting, and Heinz Mack.

The works on offer are presented on the Kunsthalle’s website. A preview will take place on November 1–2 and November 8–9 at the Ahlers pro Arte Foundation, and on November 14 starting at 4:00 p.m. at Herrenhausen Palace. Those interested in participating can call (0)4921 975012 for more information. Due to limited seating, access to the auction is restricted to registered guests only!

Georg Baselitz (b. 1938, Deutschbaselitz), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 2006, pen and ink, watercolor and ink on paper, 65.7 x 50.6 cm

Asger Jorn (1914–1973), Untitled (WVZ 307), 6-color lithograph, 55.3 x 70.1 cm

Arnulf Rainer (b. 1929, Baden), Untitled (Work from the Goya Series), undated, 60 x 50 cm

Marie-Jo Lafontaine (d. 1950, Antwerp), *Le Iris Bleu*, 1995, color photograph, 39 x 48.5 cm

Cornelius Völker (b. 1965, Kronach), Lips, 2005, oil on handmade paper, 80 x 65 cm

Franziska Stünkel (b. 1973, Göttingen), All the stories 01, 2010, color photograph, 60 x 90 cm

Luzia Simons (b. 1953, Quixadá, Ceará, Brazil), Stockage 107, 2010, scannogram, Lightjet print/Diasec, 100 x 100 cm

Fred Thieler (1916–1999), Residenztheater Munich, 1989, color offset lithograph on handmade paper, 58.5 x 84.4 cm

Jonathan Meese (b. 1970, Tokyo), Kein Club, 2011, oil, acrylic putty, acrylic with mixed media on canvas, 70.3 x 50 x 2.3 cm

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), *Deux Femmes accroupies*, 1956, lithograph, 44 x 55 cm

George Grosz (1893–1959), Standing Female Nude, 1914, pen and pencil on sketchbook paper

The Emden Art Museum Visits the Capital of Lower Saxony

The Kunsthalle, which is supported by the private “Henri and Eske Nannen Foundation and Otto van de Loo Bequest,” is considered one of the most beautiful and successful museums in northern Germany, but has struggled financially since its founding in 1986 by former Stern editor-in-chief Henri Nannen. According to Eske Nannen, the auction is intended to help the Kunsthalle move toward a more secure future.

It was no coincidence that Hanover was chosen as the venue for the charity auction: Henri Nannen spent the early years of his career in the capital of Lower Saxony; he founded the *Hannoversche Neueste Nachrichten* here in 1946, served as editor-in-chief of the *Hannoversche Abendpost* from 1947 to 1949, and met the young Rudolf Augstein in the city on the Leine.
Furthermore, the Kunsthalle is a museum in Lower Saxony—another reason why the event belongs in the state capital. Herrenhausen Palace and the Herrenhausen Gardens provide a fitting setting for the art up for auction. In 2013, the palace—which had been destroyed during World War II—was rebuilt; now, as a modern conference center and museum, it restores the famous Herrenhausen Gardens’ architectural focal point.

Discover Art, Explore Hanover

“Attending the auction is a great opportunity to discover Hanover and its cultural diversity,” says Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG). Art connoisseurs will find plenty to enjoy as they explore the city’s many museums and galleries, such as the internationally renowned Sprengel Museum Hannover, the prestigious kestnergesellschaft, and the Wilhelm Busch – German Museum of Caricature and Drawing.

Accommodation packages that include a variety of extras—such as tickets for local public transportation, city maps, dinner, or spa treatments—can be booked as “experience packages” at www.visit-hannover.com. You’ll also find contact information for the room reservation service there; their staff will be happy to help you find a suitable hotel or guesthouse.

Visitors can get a great overview of the diversity of Germany’s greenest major city on a ride aboard the Hanover double-decker convertible bus. The 100-minute tour provides plenty of interesting and informative facts in eleven languages about the city’s neighborhoods, history, and residents. Thanks to the hop-on, hop-off system, passengers can get on and off at any of the seven stops. You can explore Lower Saxony’s capital on your own by taking a walk along the “Roter Faden,” a route that stretches about four kilometers and leads past the city’s most important sights.

We have made images and text available for editorial use at www.hannover.de/presse_hmtg. For more information, visit www.hannover.de/benefizauktion.