Diplomatic World_69

The MKM Museum Küppersmühle Full House Photo: David Ertl The MKM Museum Küppersmühle Full House Photo: David Ertl
I have two questions: First. Why was I, of all people, chosen by
each other. So I came to the conclusion to talk about our ages as
“Erinnerung und Werk”. I myself visited Rolf-Gunter Dienst for the
a painting space in one of his classrooms for the semester break
Walter Smerling to give a speech here? Second. What am I sup-
well: Katharina Sieverding, born in 1941, was born in Prague,
last time in 2013 with Ina Hesselmann in his apartment in Berlin,
during his studies with Joseph Beuys. Immendorff never forgot
posed to tell as an old painter, if I am not allowed to characterize
Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). She is a famous
and we were amazed how he patiently-optimistically showed us
this concession by Götz. Although he did paint against non-ob-
the art of other colleagues, nor do I want to?
photo artist with a claim to have pioneered here. I know her only
his wonderfully brilliantly colorfully constructed pictures there.
jective informal painting with his particular, politically tinged kind
vaguely from our student days at the Düsseldorf Art Academy.
K.O. Götz, Rolf-Gunter Dienst and I were visually-aesthetically
of figurative painting.
I answer the first question as follows: I, Rissa, born in 1938 in
She was a student of Joseph Beuys (1921 – 1986), and I was a
and intellectually on the same wavelength and connected in
Chemnitz in Saxony, was chosen for the speech because at
student of K.O. Götz from 1960. By the way, Beuys owes it to
true friendship. He was a painter with a strong character and a
For Immendorff’s 60th birthday in 2005, K.O. Götz and I were
84 years of age I am the oldest artist who, fortunately, will now
this non-figurative painter, among others, that he was able to
hot heart, and a liberal arts writer for all art movements that de-
specially invited to his birthday party at Markus Lüpertz’s private
be able to show some of her works from the Sylvia and Ulrich
become a professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy.
veloped in the Western world after World War 2. Vintage-wise,
studio in Düsseldorf. There, sadly, we both saw Immendorff for
Ströher Collection in this new magnificent building in Duisburg in
I could have been his sister four years older.
the last time, as he accepted the congratulations of all present in
2022 with four younger colleagues and three female colleagues
Back to the two of us as art students. During our student years,
a wheelchair. I, Rissa, could have been his seven year older sister
in addition to myself. In addition, the Küppersmühle has become
our paths rarely crossed in the long empty academy hallways.
Candida Höfer, the vaunted, formidable photographer whom I
in terms of year.
an important home for me and my paintings since 2003, because
And when we did meet, Katharina and I smiled at each other as if
unfortunately did not meet in person before this exhibition. She
in this year, in this place, one of the most beautiful Rissa
we knew more about each other than was the case. I could have
was born in 1944 in Eberswalde in Brandenburg, but grew up in
Rosemarie Trockel was born in 1952 in Schwerte in North
exhibitions of a non-provincial nature in Germany took place.
been her sister three years older.
Cologne after 1945. The formal rigour of her photographs, which
Rhine-Westphalia. In her case, by the way, the fact is confirmed
Moreover, even after the death of my husband and informal
also characterizes my painting, connects us artistically. I could
that visual form ability and vivid imagination is often inherited
painter K.O. Götz (who lived from 1914 to 2017), I continue to
Rolf Gunter Dienst was born in Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein in
be her sister six years older.
from father to daughter and from mother to son. And – “Voilà”:
have a deep friendship with Sylvia and Ulrich Ströher, with Ina
1942. Unfortunately, he died much too early in 2016.
Her father is a mechanical engineer! Rosemarie and Rissa were
Hesselmann, and of course with Walter Smerling.
The painter Jörg Immendorff was born in Bleckede, Lower
thus artist colleagues at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1998
K.O. Götz and I had a long, friendly relationship with this painter
Saxony, in 1945. Unfortunately, he died too early in 2007 from
to 2007.
I just mentioned my age. Coming back to the age of the three
and writer. He visited Götz already in his younger years around
ALS. He was a powerful, loyal painter colleague of mine at the
other female artists and four male artists exhibiting here, I im-
the 1960s in Düsseldorf and then later in 1978 also in our house
Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1996.
In 2007 I left the academy by age, she only in 2016. She, unlike
agined that we were not only emotionally connected in the short
in Niederbreitbach. There is a beautiful photo of this visit by the
me, is a much-acclaimed multi-media artist who not only creates
term through this exhibition, but that we were really related to
three of us in the second volume of K.O. Götz’s autobiography
K.O. Götz, in his liberal manner, had even once provided him with
interesting black and white and color works, but she has also
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