Collection
Classics of Pop Art, Gerhard Richter and Georg Baselitz, graffiti painting and the Leipzig School: throughout their lives, Peter and Irene Ludwig have amassed an incomparable collection of outstanding works since the early 1960s. Donations and permanent loans from their collection are now housed in more than 20 museums worldwide. The home of this unique collection, however, is the Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst in Aachen, where the industrialist couple lived and from where they directed one of the largest chocolate and confectionery production operations in the former Federal Republic. The Ludwig Forum Aachen houses some 3,000 works from the collection.
The Ludwigs were among the first collectors of Pop Art. As early as 1968, they showed the new Americans in Aachen. Among them was Andy Warhol, whose unprecedented career is closely linked to the couple. In 1970, Peter Ludwig traveled to Duane Hanson in New York and acquired important groups of figures by the artist, including the Supermarket Lady. The early, scandalous presentations made Aachen a highly relevant exhibition venue for contemporary art-even before the photographic and hyperrealism of documenta 5 in 1972 began its conquest of Europe. Later, purchases by Jeff Koons, Jonathan Borofsky, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others continued the American line.
Beginning in the early 1970s, the Ludwigs expanded their collecting activities into the GDR and Eastern Europe. Works from the “Eastern Bloc” could often only be acquired in groups, and the state sometimes had a say in the selection of works. Thus, historically relevant paintings are lined up with works by Ilya Kabakov and Erik Bulatov. Purchases in the USSR have been followed since 1983 by Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. Early works by Nedko Solakov and Dan Perjovschi thus entered the collection. Later, China and Cuba attracted the attention of collectors. Chinese and Cuban art in particular are focal points at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen.
In addition to the works from the Ludwig Collection, the museum’s holdings include a number of works from municipal collections. These include, for example, around 300 top-class video works by Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Laurie Anderson, Joan Jonas and Nam June Paik.
The following works from the collections at the Ludwig Forum are currently on display
Ground Floor:
Entrance
Julia Scher, Security by Julia (Dispenser), 2020
Hall
Nairy Baghramian, Side Saddle Damenrad, 2009
Georg Baselitz, Scheibenkopf, 1986
Peter Brüning, Straßenwand, 1968
Lygia Clark, Arquitetura Fantástica (Bicho), 1963
Jörg Immendorff, Naht (Brandenburger Tor – Weltfrage), 1982/83
Gabriel Kuri, Items in Care of Items, 2008
László Fehér, Aus Tác, 1987
Ivan Lubennikov (Иван Лубенников), Oкeaн, 1985
Galina Neledva (Галина Неледва), Familienfest, 1966
Nikola Ovčinnikov (Никола Овчинников), Landschaft 2, 1988
Raymond Pettibon, $ 4,oo (I always peruse a Chaucher, a Cervantes or a Milton with delight, and ever sit down to my ledger with a sort of disgust), 1991
Adelaida Pologova (Аделаида Пологова), Adam und Eva, undatiert / undated
Hans Scheib, Wedding, 1987
Room 8
Donald Baechler, Bay of Bengal (Third Version), 1987-88
Ivan Čujkov (Иван Чуйков), Fragment auf Landschafts-Postkarte, 1987
Ivan Čujkov (Иван Чуйков), Ohne Titel, 1969/70
Marianne Eigenheer, Objektive Malerei, 1983
Ellen Gronemeyer, Tipsy Cat 2, 2008-09
Peter Herrmann, Tod des Vaters, 1987
Bertram Jesdinsky, Serie Baukasten! – “Blauer Widder”, “Gelber Vogel” & “Schlauchtier”, 1989
Maksim Kantor (Максим Кантор), Лицо, 1987
Konrad Klapheck, Athletisches Selbstbildnis, 1958
Brigitta Malche, Flötenmundstück, 1974
István Nádler, Der 6. Juni 1988, 1988
Igor Obrosov (Игорь Обросов), Натюрморт с телефоном, 1974
Albert Oehlen, Ohne Titel (Seerosen/Skulptur), 1984
Uwe Pfeifer, Neustädter Frühling, 1974
Viktor Pivovarov (Виктор Пивоваров), Столь долгое присутствие, 1973
Rissa, Fettprobe, 1967
Inga Savranskaja (Инга Савранская), Olja, 1974
Aleksandr Sitnikov (Александр Ситников), Studentinnen, 1972
Radiš Tordija (რადიშ თორდია), Junge, Musik hörend, 1972
Sergej Volkov (Сергей Волков), Продолжение осмотра, 1988
Dmitrij Žilinskij (Дмитрий Жилинский), Ehepaar Ludwig, 1981
Room 9
John Ahearn, A Boy from Puerto Rico, 1982
Alan Cote, Untitled, 1968
Rolf-Gunter Dienst, Momentetagebuch 10.5.68 – Natascha S. nicht in Florenz, Nr.3, 1968
Siron Franco, Noturno, 1987
Alex Hay, Steno Pad, 1966
Gottfried Helnwein, 48 Portraits, 1991
Bertram Jesdinsky, Der große Fischzug, 1990
Roy Lichtenstein, I Know How You Must Feel, Brad…, 1963
Anatolij Mašarov (Анатолий Машаров), Künstler, 1983
Wolfgang Mattheuer, Sonnenstraße, 1990
Igor Obrosov (Игорь Обросов), Bildnis von V.M. Šukšin, 1980
A.R. Penck, Der Übergang, 1963
Gerhard Richter, Teil 1 von Permutationen 1 – 1024, 1973/74
Room 10
Carla Accardi, Ohne Titel, 1965
Laurie Anderson, China, in Downgrading of Mao, Attacks the Cultural Revolution, 1979
Belkis Ayón, Sin título (Figura blanca arrodillada en el centro), 1995
Donald Baechler, Wienerwald, 1986
Tim Berresheim, Observations from a hill – 7, 2006
Bernhard Johannes Blume, Ödipale Komplikationen, 1978-80
Mel Bochner, Triangular and Square (Points/Shapes), 1975
Felix Droese, Dampfer, 1981
Gotthard Graubner, Kissen, 1964
Richard Hamilton, My Marilyn, 1965
Jann Haworth, The Surfer, 1968
Jasper Johns, Scent, 1974
Oleg Kudrjaschov (Олег Кудряшов), Komposition, 1980
Roy Lichtenstein, Sailboats through the Trees, 1984
Ivan Lubennikov (Иван Лубенников), Veranda, 1983
Lázaro García Medina, Adam (como signo propio de la finitud en lo universal), 1989
Kenneth Noland, Shadow Line, 1967
Peter Piller, Vandalismus: Bänke, 2000–2006
Robert Rauschenberg, Marathon Spray Shield, 1977
Otto Sander-Tischbein, Teil von “Bunte Blätter aus Pannonhalma im Herbst 1994”, 1994
Augustinas Savickas, Spaziergang, 1979
Emil Sorge, Ohne Titel, 1984
Eduard Steinberg (Эдуард Штейнберг), Komposition (Männerkopf mit Kreuz), 1988
Don Van Vliet, It’s like a White Onion-Fleshed Pumpkin, 1985
Andy Warhol, Jackie III, 1966
Andy Warhol, Saturday’s Popeye, 1960
Walerian Wassiljev (Валериан Васильев), Licht, 1965
William Wegman, Remnants, 1979
Hermann Weisweiler, Ohne Titel [Jann Haworth, The Surfer, 1968], 1970
“Kapellenräume”
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Grazing – Soup to Nuts, MGM, 1930, 1938
Boyle Family, Cobbles Study with Drains, 1979/80
Rackstraw Downes, Dragon Cement Plant, Thomaston, 1985
Mónica Giron, Ajuar para un conquistator, 1993
Nancy Graves, Proposal to Control the Current Brush Invasion in the Western United States and Mexico or the Reintroduction of the Camel to Refill a Niche Left in the Pleistocene, 1968
Nancy Graves, 200 Stills at 60 Frames, 1970
Nancy Graves, Izy Boukir, 1970
Nancy Graves, Pleistocene Camelus, 1971
Michael Heizer, Art before Life (A Relationship on the Land), 1969
Irmel Kamp, Mit Zinkblech verkleidete Bauten in Ostbelgien, 1978-81
Barbara & Michael Leisgen, The Never Ending Water, 1974/75
Richard Long, A hundred mile walk along a line in County Mayo, Ireland, 1974
Richard Long, Oxshott near London, 1968
Algirdas Milleris, Transportband (Weitaufnahme), 1978-81
Algirdas Milleris, Abraumhalde, 1978-81
Algirdas Milleris, Transportband (Nahaufnahme), 1978-81
Wolfgang Nestler, Auffangbecken bei Titz, 1977
Jüri Okas, Saaremaa maastik, 1984
Jüri Okas, Põhjarannik, 1984
Ramón Pacheco Salazar, Ohne Titel [abgeholztes Areal], undatiert
Ramón Pacheco Salazar, Ohne Titel [abgeerntetes Zuckerfeld], undatiert
Second Floor
Park
Courtyard and Loggia
Jonathan Borofsky, Ballerina Clown, 1990
Lars Breuer, Zero history, 2011
Wolfgang Nestler, Rastplatz für die Windstille, 1999
Claes Oldenburg, Colossal Ashtray, 1975
Park
Horst Antes, Lustgarten mit 7 Monumenten der Lüste oder Garten des Malers, 1967
Maija Baltiņa, Tantasdziesma [Volkslied], 1983
Gruppe Blaustich, GRUNDSTEIN mit BLAUSTICH, ca. 1976-2005
Thomas Virnich, Ludwigs Gartenhaus, 1991-93
Thomas Virnich, Rosentor, 1991
Artur Żmijewski, Bild der Lebenszeiten, Kunst der Roboter, lange Arbeit, Kunst der Lebensfreude, Gold, lebendige Gesichter, 2013
