Art at Deutsche Werkstätten

At Deutsche Werkstätten, art is an intrinsic part of the way we work. In fact, the company enjoys its very own in-house Gallery at the heart of the company headquarters. Art exhibitions have been held in the company headquarters since 1994. The move in 2006 to the new building, designed by Thomas Herzog, saw the creation of a far more prominent gallery; a permanent exhibition space of some 340 square metres. Anette Hellmuth, responsible for cultural events at Deutsche Werkstätten describes it as a ‘power bank’ radiating positive energy at the centre of an open-plan office. Anette Hellmuth is convinced that the natural presence of art in the workplace has a positive effect. Over 150 exhibitions and concerts have been organized on the premises since 1992. Every time the gallery space is carefully adapted to best display the artist’s work. Lasting impressions of colour, forms and textures remain while the sound of the musicians linger on in our memories. It would certainly be hard to imagine life at Deutsche Werkstätten without the Gallery.

Of course, the exhibits are received in different ways by different people, but most would agree that this constant dialogue with art and culture has a positive impact on the work of the company. In 2008, the Deutsche Werkstätten Gallery hosted an exhibition from the German Mueum of Architecture in Frankfurt am Main: “Gaudi unseen”, an impressive presentation of Gaudi’s work as creator of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Ausstellung Stich Punkt Hellerau, 2017, © Foto: Lothar Sprenger — Exbition: Stich Punkt Hellerau (2017) © Photo: Lothar Sprenger

Just one year later the company was commissioned to build a private library designed to echo Gaudi’s distinctive organic forms, in particular the windows of the “Casa Battlo”, in Barcelona. Thanks to the exhibition, employees in Hellerau were familiar with Gaudi’s organic design language and philosophy and the project was a great success!

Editorial note: This article was published in 2020.