Optik Schröder II

Exhibition catalogue for Optik Schröder II, Works from the Alexander Schröder Collection, curated by Karola Kraus, at mumok – Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, February 2018 – June 2018

The collection includes important works by (among others) Kai Althoff, Tom Burr, Bernadette Corporation, Claire Fontaine, Gelitin, Isa Genzken, Anne Imhof, Sergej Jensen, Pierre Klossowski, Manfred Pernice, Martha Rosler, and Reena Spaulings, and is one of the most important German private collections of contemporary art. These works illustrate some of the key conceptual trends and positions in the development of Western art in the past three decades, including references to social issues, queer lifestyles, the critique of institutions and the economy, critical investigation of public spaces and architecture, poetry, and contemporary forms of critical painting. The prominently represented artists’ collectives exemplify endeavours to challenge and transform the traditional roles and systems of the artist, of art production, and of the sale of art. This comprehensive overview shows a collection built up consistently since the mid-1990s and based on close proximity to the artists and sensitivity for new developments. The collection illustrates an exemplary philosophy of collecting focusing on the nature of the contemporary, on curiosity, expertise, humor, independence, and outstanding aesthetic judgement.

German/English, 285 × 225 mm, softcover, 240 pages with color illustrations, ISBN 978-3-96098-314-9, Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, available via mumok online shop.

Studio Manuel Raeder also designed the catalogue for the Optik Schröder exhibition at Kunstverein Braunschweig in 2006.