Goals

Goals

Nonprofit organisation

The Winter Foundation (WinterStiftung Hamburg) is a nonprofit organisation, fulfilling its tasks in the fields of art, culture and social involvement in many different ways.
A constructive basis  is the development of a theme-related collection of modern and contemporary art beyond the mainstream – albeit with strong connections to eminent artists.
The foundation offers artworks for loan to cultural institutions, companies and social organisations.
Another important task is initiating and supporting public projects. The focus is on avant-garde tendencies, such as those in Europe in the 1920s to 1930s or such movements that found expression in the 1960s to 1980s in the Rhineland area, Germany. Artists like  Joseph Beuys ,  Sigmar Polke  and cooperated with them or Andy Warhol , and those who where in touch with him are of special interest.

Also younger generations of artists such as Heinz Zolper, Michael Jansen, Helmut Tollmann, Monika von Eschenbach, Jana Dettmer  or Martin Müller are part of support and collection. Within the cultural partnership with Artforum Culture Foundation  als artists from foreign cultures, like Akrithakis, Tsarouchis or Kounellis are of prior interest. Particular attention is also paid to international photo art, like  Heinz Günter Mebusch, Vera Isler-Leiner, John Moore or George DuBose.

Our vision             
We believe that the free arts can enable people to transcend their spiritual and intellectual limitations.
We would like to make a contribution to the creation of open and democratic societies.
We firmly believe that art should return to where it belongs: into the midst of life.

Collection
Using Dr. Norbert Winter’s private art collection as the basis, we are building up a collection of predominantly contemporary art.
The focus is on avant-garde tendencies, such as those that found expression in the 1960s to 1980s in the Rhineland centred on Joseph Beuys and Sigmar Polke, or further afield in New York surrounding Andy Warhol.
We are equally interested in internationally recognised German artists, such as Heinz Zolper, Michael Jansen, Helmut Tollmann as well as the contemporary art of foreign cultures. We attach particular importance to photo art (including H.G. Mebusch, Vera Isler; art photography, punk photography, art scene documentation). The key features of the concept underlying our collection are media equality and the thematic aspect of clarifying contemporary history by means of artworks.

Exhibitions
The Winter foundation makes exhibition programmes available not only in collaboration with cultural institutions, but also for companies and social organisations. All requests and enquiries will be dealt with in an unbureaucratic manner.

Projects
The 2009 - 2010 started “Gulf Projects” series of projects, an Artforum Culture Foundation program in cooperation with the Goethe Institute for promoting dialogue with Islamic culture, was furthered by loans. Since a several years the Winter Foundation is supporter and partner oft he ambitious artists show „Ostrale“, with projects in Malta, Wrozlaw or Thessaloniki. Currently the Winter Foundation is supporting the "Monument to Life", a public project. Contribution to „IAM – international art moves“, the international network of art schools and academies, is also on the agenda for cooperation and support. As a matter of principle, the Winter Foundation is always open for project cooperations.

Promoting artists
In individual cases, the Winter Foundation supports the work of talented artists both financially and creatively. There is no limit on age. The support expressly includes cultural work with children as well as an exchange with international artists. The freely-made selection is based on information and advice obtained from experts, curators, gallery owners, collectors and universities.

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