History, Present and Future

  • Board of the Michels Art Foundation Kurt-Josef MIchels, Regine Michels and Kai Uwe Michels

    Portrait of K. J. Michels, photographed by Andreas Mühe.

    Board of the Michels Art Foundation

    Kurt-Josef MIchels, Regine Michels and Kai Uwe Michels

  • History

    PRESENT

    Building on this established foundation, the foundation has been undergoing a process of renewal since late 2025. With the formation of a new team, a process of structural and conceptual development began, building on its longstanding commitment while opening up new forms of support and engagement.

     

    At the heart of its activities remains the responsible stewardship of both the foundation’s collection and the founder’s private collection. Through loans, artworks are made accessible to museums, exhibition venues, and other cultural institutions, allowing them to be presented within new art-historical and social contexts.

    At the same time, the foundation is expanding its funding activities. It supports museums and art institutions by contributing to transportation and production costs and assists artists in the realization of selected projects. Long-term loans to publicly accessible spaces form another important focus. The aim is not only to preserve art but also to make it visible and accessible beyond traditional exhibition spaces.

     

    In this way, the foundation is gradually evolving from an initiative rooted in the collection into an active institution dedicated to supporting the arts. Preservation, promotion, and public accessibility form the basis of its work today, carrying forward the personal commitment from which the foundation originated into an institutional framework.

  • Present Building on this established foundation, the foundation has been undergoing a process of renewal since the end of 2025....

    Photography by Andreas Mühe
    Entrepreneur

    Present

    Building on this established foundation, the foundation has been undergoing a process of renewal since the end of 2025. With the formation of a new team, a process of structural and conceptual development began, building on its previous commitment while opening up new forms of support and engagement.

     

    The responsible management of both the foundation’s collection and the founder’s private collection remains at the heart of its activities. Through loans, artworks are made accessible to museums, exhibition venues, and other cultural institutions, allowing them to be presented in new contexts.

     

    At the same time, the foundation is expanding its funding activities. It supports museums and art institutions by contributing to transportation and production costs and assists artists in the realization of selected projects. Long-term loans for public spaces, as well as the artistic and creative enhancement of selected locations, form another important focus.

     

    In this way, the foundation is gradually evolving from an initiative rooted in the collection into an active arts funding institution. Preserving, supporting, and making art accessible form the basis of its work today, carrying forward the personal commitment from which the foundation originated into an institutional framework.

     

  • Future

    The coming years will be dedicated to the careful and sustainable development of the foundation. Existing funding initiatives, partnerships, and loans will be continued and gradually complemented by new formats and opportunities for collaboration.

     

    A central priority remains making the collection more accessible to the public. Through loans to museums, exhibition venues, and other cultural institutions, the foundation aims to bring its artworks to a wider audience. Rather than viewing its collection as a closed entity, the foundation understands it as a living and evolving body of work, continuously enriched by new perspectives, encounters, and artistic positions.

     

    Supporting young and emerging artists will also play an important role in the foundation’s future activities. Through targeted funding, long-term collaborations, and support for selected projects, the foundation seeks to encourage artistic development and create opportunities for new ideas to flourish.

     

    Furthermore, the foundation aims to strengthen the presence of art in public and social spaces. Long-term loans and collaborations with various institutions will help make art visible beyond traditional exhibition settings, allowing people to encounter and experience it in their everyday lives.

     

    The foundation does not regard growth as an end in itself. New projects, acquisitions, and partnerships will be developed thoughtfully, sustainably, and with a long-term perspective.

     

    The foundation’s goal is to carry forward decades of personal commitment into a vibrant and forward-looking institution — one that not only collects and preserves art but also supports, communicates, and fosters new artistic developments.