Photography by ANTON TAL, 2024 (portrait from ULI SEIBERT and KATYA QUEL in the interiors of the collection showrooms).
PROF. DR. ULRICH SEIBERT is a passionate art collector whose vibrant art space in Berlin-Mitte seems to have sprung from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the colourful pages of a comic book. It is no surprise, then, that Seibert describes his collection’s style as ‘Pop-Comic Surrealism.’ For SLEEK’s ‘Collector’s Favourite’ segment, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Seibert introduces us to a piece from his collection and explains why he chose this particular work of art.
I do not actually have a single favourite piece – what matters to me is the overall composition. The complete artwork arises from the crowded salon-style arrangement of paintings, furniture, lamps, and wood panelling. But if I had to pick one piece, it would probably be Little Man with Live Instagram Video Comment Tattoos, oil on panel, by Christian Rex van Minnen. It fits well into my collection, which often goes against the mainstream. You might describe it as Lowbrow or Pop Surrealism, a movement that is more popular on the US West Coast, particularly in California. Here in Germany, art is often overly serious, leaving little room for the wild and colourful.
Photography by MIKAEL GREGORSKY, 2021 (painting).
Christian Rex van Minnen creates extraordinary works. He combines meticulously crafted oil paintings, whose execution and technique match that of the old masters, with wildly imaginative subject matter. In the established art scene, many dismiss Lowbrow art as superficial, something akin to American kitsch or comic art devoid of depth. Nothing could be further from the truth. This piece was modelled after a sculpture from the Capitoline Museums. The blend of this powerful physiognomy with random Instagram tattoos is compelling. And what does the writing say? “Pick me, sit on my face Daddy, Twat, Weezy, Track ID?, Ibiza, slut-bomb, Cosmo Ass Shit” – and so on. Some people turn their tattoos into aesthetic works of art; others get tattoos of random things. Both are valid. To me, tattoos are a testament to the desire for permanence in an uncertain world. The frame is also special – we designed it specifically with my framer; a “meat frame” seemed fitting. A frame should complement the artwork rather than dominate it, subtly drawing on its elements to extend them.