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| Association of German Galleries | |
|---|---|
| Name | Association of German Galleries |
| Native name | Verband Deutscher Galerien |
| Type | Trade association |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Headquarters | Berlin |
| Region served | Germany |
| Membership | Commercial art galleries, dealers |
| Leader title | President |
Association of German Galleries is a national trade association representing commercial art galleries and art dealers in Germany. It serves as a professional network linking galleries in cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, and Düsseldorf with cultural institutions including the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Pinakothek der Moderne, and the Kunsthalle Hamburg. The association engages with European and global counterparts like CINOA, TEFAF, and the Art Dealers Association of America to promote contemporary art markets, historical art trade, and collector relations.
The association traces its roots to post-World War II reconstruction efforts among art dealers in West Germany and the cultural revival in Bonn and Frankfurt am Main. Early members included dealers who had collaborated with institutions such as the Kunstmuseum Basel and collectors connected to the Görlitz and Saxon collections. In the 1960s and 1970s the association negotiated protocols with municipal authorities in Hamburg and Stuttgart and engaged in provenance research practices similar to initiatives at the Austrian Commission for Provenance Research and the Monuments Men and Women. During reunification the association expanded membership eastward into Leipzig and Dresden, aligning with policies emerging from the Federal Republic of Germany and integrating galleries that had exhibited at venues like the Neue Nationalgalerie and the Gemäldegalerie.
Governance is structured with an elected board modeled on comparable bodies such as the board of the Société des Amis du Louvre and the executive committees of the British Art Market Federation. Membership categories range from small specialist dealers in Oldenburg and Weimar to leading contemporary galleries operating in Köln and representing artists who have shown at the Venice Biennale, the Documenta exhibition in Kassel, and the Salzburg Festival. The association maintains liaison roles with collector networks linked to foundations such as the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and the Kulturstiftung des Bundes. Professional requirements echo standards applied by the International Confederation of Art Dealers and involve registration, insurance arrangements with underwriters familiar with claims handled by the Allianz group, and participation in provenance databases like those coordinated with the German Lost Art Foundation.
The association organizes fair participation strategies for members at events including Art Cologne, BERLINARTWEEK, and international fairs such as Frieze London and Art Basel. It runs curatorial workshops in collaboration with institutions like the Deutsche Bundesbank Kunstsammlung and research seminars with university partners such as Freie Universität Berlin and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The association administers professional development programs covering exhibition practice at venues like the Kunsthalle Bremen and collection care protocols used at the Städel Museum. Networking initiatives connect members with curators from the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Centre Pompidou.
The association lobbies on legislative matters affecting art commerce before bodies including the Bundestag, the European Parliament, and municipal councils in Berlin. Policy priorities have included tax treatment of art transactions discussed with the Federal Ministry of Finance and import/export rules coordinated with the Federal Customs Administration. The association has taken positions on cultural funding programs administered by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes and has engaged with restitution frameworks advanced alongside the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art and protocols used by the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.
The association promulgates codes of practice addressing provenance research, due diligence, and ethical sales consistent with guidelines established by ICOM, the International Council of Museums, and the Code of Ethics of the International Art Market. It provides templates for condition reporting akin to standards at the Victoria and Albert Museum and conservation protocols used by the Rijksmuseum. The association encourages members to adopt digital cataloguing compatible with registries such as the Getty Provenance Index and to follow authentication procedures similar to those employed by the Sotheby's Institute of Art.
Formal partnerships include cooperation agreements with trade organizations like CINOA and cultural institutions including the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Goethe-Institut. The association participates in bilateral exchanges with the French Syndicat National des Antiquaires and collaborates on research projects with the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD). International outreach has included delegations to the United States Department of State cultural programs and participation in multilateral forums tied to the UNESCO conventions on cultural property.
The association administers and endorses awards that recognize dealer excellence and gallery innovation, modeled on prizes such as the Turner Prize and the Praemium Imperiale. It partners with foundations like the Kunststiftung NRW and corporate sponsors including firms from the Deutsche Bank art sponsorship programs to present distinctions for exhibition design, curatorial achievement, and contributions to provenance research. Recipients have included galleries with histories of collaboration with institutions like the Ludwig Museum and artists whose work has been acquired by the Museum Ludwig and other major collections.
Category:Art trade associations Category:Cultural organizations based in Berlin