"I never planned to systemically establish an art collection. I simply bought what I liked. And nor did I initially entertain the idea of displaying my collection. But ten years ago, my collecting activities took an unexpected turn when I stepped into the public eye. This was prompted by the beautiful rooms in Haus Hedwig, a historic building owned by the archdiocese of Cologne. During World War II, it served as a hospital and later housed a convalescent home for mothers run by the Elly Heuss-Knapp foundation. An exhibition space of roughly 400m² extends across the former dining hall and the adjoining kitchen, even including a private chapel. The walls are over four meters high and show the marks of time. Moreover, the current property owner was greatly interested in modern art, meaning I was also able to install outdoors sculptures in the adjacent park.

The exhibition space has the added attraction of being located near our residence. I was born and raised in Honnef, which is why I especially like the idea of realizing my vision here. I am fond of Rhöndorf, at the foot of Drachenfels, as well as the Rhineland region as a whole. I appreciate the cultural life here and people’s attitude to life. The region boasts fantastic museums and art associations as well as many private collectors, and I enjoy being part of this regional art scene. I began buying more systematically. A concept was created, and with it, my collection. One point of focus is photography, sculpture, installations, and site-specific projects. I find it important to purchase a number of works by an artist across different phases of creation in order to be able to follow their development and comment on it.

Although I focus solely on contemporary art, my collection also includes works from the 1960s and ’70s that belonged to my parents. I am especially fascinated by the juxtaposition of older and younger artists. Susanne Kleine and I first came into contact during the jubilee exhibition titled Old Friends and New.

I find it a special privilege to not only collect art but to curate it and share that art with others. By personally guiding visitors through the exhibitions, I seek to create a special connection between artworks and visitors. This intimacy creates a special place for encounters and exchanges.

For me, thinking about space, perception, and reality is one a major appeal of art. I find myself often asking the question: What influences artists today? Have painting and sculpture lost their traditional significance? How is AI influencing art? I’ve sought out answers during my time as a collector. I regard my support of emerging artists and the establishment of the KAT_A-Award as contributions to the development of contemporary art.

I look forward to the future encounters and new works of art that await me!"

Andra Lauffs-Wegner

Old and New Friends
From Refik Anadol to David Zink Yi
26.05.2024–18.03.2025

The jubilee exhibition was conceived together with the curator Susanne Kleine, bringing together old and new friends in surprising correspondences. The title was inspired by Thomas Schütte’s graphic portfolio Alte Freunde (Old Friends) from 2010. This exhibition reflects the collection’s polyphony, fluidity, and identity and opens up new and sometimes unexpected imaginative realms.

Across generations and media, a dialogue is presented between arts of different ages and artistic practices of works-dating from 1940 to 2022. Works from the 1960s and ’70s from the former collection of Helga and Walther Lauffs interact with contemporary art. Drawings, paintings, photographs, and sculptures enter into a formal and aesthetic exchange and permit a shift in perspective that is surprising, powerful, moving, and perhaps even perplexing—for instance, when Imi Knoebel is juxtaposed with Wolfgang Tillmans and Johannes Wohnseifer, or when a portrait by Isa Genzken encounters Nicola de Maria. A clearer “rightness” may be discovered in the dialogue between Ulrike Rosenbach, Katharina Sieverding, Isa Genzken, and Anne Imhof. The placement of works expresses a subjective and playful approach that is guided by a delight in innovative scenarios.