Image Courtesy of Marzena Skubatz.
In Germany, sponsors’ associations and friends’ associations have their roots in bourgeois traditions of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were founded to give citizens a say in their cultural institutions which had hitherto been run primarily by the aristocracy and the Church. This newly emerging individualism, based on reason and autonomy, is both a prerequisite and the result of the creation of associations.
Public institutions have developed hand in hand with individual involvement and patronage. But what creates the magic of personal involvement? Why are we continually surprised and fascinated by what sponsors’ associations and friends’ associations can achieve, and what kind of work is undertaken by all the people involved? Gabriele Quandt, chair of the Association of Friends of the National Gallery in Berlin, and Christian Bracht, chair of the Karl Hofer Society, discuss the issues.
Christian Bracht: What is the attraction for you of getting involved in friends’ associations?
Gabriele Quandt: In my case, it all began for a very personal reason. When I left Berlin in 1979 after my mother died, a friend suggested I become a member of the National Gallery’s Association of Friends, because then there would always be a reason or an occasion to come back to Berlin. I liked that idea, and so I became a member of the association before taking on the role of chair. Over the last few years, this work has given me some incredible experiences. I never tire of finding an overlooked project that’s worth tackling and implementing with my colleagues. It’s a huge amount of fun just working with a friends’ association of 1,500 people as if it were a completely normal, manageable group of friends [laughs].
Christian Bracht: I’m a networker by nature and so wanted to bring a different impetus to the Karl Hofer Society. When I was offered the position of chair, my main concern was helping young people and supporting their career plans, and connecting all this with art. For me, it’s all about passing things on.
GQ: Above all, I can pass on my enthusiasm and the feeling I have when I stand in front of a work of art. It might be an exhibition I’ve visited, a catalogue I’ve read or a new perspective that keeps opening my eyes and transports me somewhere new. There are always these encounters that trigger something and I try to pass that on somehow. It’s just that when you come into contact with art – it doesn’t matter whether it’s 18th or 19th century, my preferred art of the early 20th century or contemporary works – there’s a tremendous power. An experience with such power can tell you something, no matter what period it comes from. I try to pass that on and make it part of our work as a friends’ association. In fact, we get involved in our Association of Friends so that this city can experience great exhibitions and so that people can still say that Berlin is a great city!
CB: That’s an important point. It’s the friends’ associations that make so many more things possible. It was Frank-Walter Steinmeier who explicitly emphasised in a 2019 speech how important friends’ associations are for art and, of course, for democracy in general. Do you see your work as a kind of visionary driving force?
GQ: I’m afraid I have to answer no. We in the Association of Friends see ourselves as enablers and I include myself in that. And in this sense, we are pretty advanced in our work because we are fortunate to have enough friends on the Board of Trustees who think and make decisions with foresight on a large scale. Everyone who works in our office and who is part of the management team works together very creatively, thinking things through and always coming up with surprising solutions. It’s a lot of fun and everyone is very enthusiastic. That makes me incredibly happy.
Images Courtesy of Marzena Skubatz.
CB: Whether it’s a museum, a cultural institution, other institutions or an individual project, they all need friends’ associations to fund exhibitions and events, and also to buy new exhibits. How do you explain this connection to your members and convince them to get involved financially or in terms of content?
GQ: Our original plan was solely about buying pictures. Our calculation went like this: 100 friends give 1,000 Deutschmarks and we then use these 100,000 marks to buy a wonderful picture every year – two, if we’re lucky. The first picture that the Association of Friends bought cost a few million, so it took a while! Funding exhibitions has only been part of our programme for about 25 years. This works quite well because it’s something concrete for our members and we can develop great offers. I think it’s fun for the members because we can show very clearly what happens to their money and what we’ve spent it on. Because we are made up of so many individual institutions – even if each one only mounts something twice a year – we’re actually always making good progress.
CB: For us, it’s important to thank the members, the sponsors and the patrons because only they have made it possible and often by being really active. It must be the same for you, isn’t it?
GQ: In fact, it’s my main job to say thank you because I agree that it’s extremely important. I find saying thank you and praising people incredibly effective. We are friendly with everyone, say thank you very much, send Christmas cards and do lots of different things to make our members feel appreciated. Once in a while, people leave and I write to say thank you again for the support that they have given.
CB: Oh yes, it’s a lot of work dealing with membership. It’s the same with us in the Karl Hofer Society.
GQ: Yes but nevertheless it’s always easier to keep someone than to recruit someone new. All in all these are all things I enjoy and I think members see that I enjoy my work, as does everyone in our office.
CB: But how do you recruit new members when, like the Friends of the National Gallery, you are already operating at such a high level?
GQ: Our goal isn’t growth at all costs. We have now reached a scale that we are very comfortable with. Of course, because we are an old association, there are always people who die or people who tell us that they can’t get out and about for age reasons and so membership no longer makes sense for them. We try to fill these gaps, so to speak, with new members. We offer trial memberships that are free for three months and then we invite everyone to come and talk about their experiences and expectations.
CB: And what about young people? How do you recruit them?
GQ: This is a topic that chimes perfectly with that of your magazine: trust. In our trial memberships, you can also bring friends along.
CB: Of course, I did that too. People talk to their friends and acquaintances and inspire their circle of friends.
GQ: We’re pretty good at that! [laughs] Our work also consists of telling stories and the fact that we ourselves are always accessible. I’m sure you agree with me.
CB: Absolutely.
As featured in SLEEK 77 – TRUST. Available in print and digital here.