Five experts advise the foundation on project works
Founded in summer 2022, the art meets science – Foundation Herbert W. Franke has already initiated numerous projects in its young history. These form the focus of the foundation’s work. They are financed thanks to various sales campaigns of some of the works from the estate of Herbert W. Franke.
The foundation is now supported by an advisory board of five internationally renowned experts for its extensive project work. The members cover the visionary’s various fields of activity between art and science, to which he made important contributions. Franke’s extremely productive life’s work ranged from cave research to the visual arts and literature. However, the five members share more than just a common professional interest in Franke. They all felt a friendly bond with the personality. “I am very happy,” says Susanne Paech, founder of art meets science, ”that we have succeeded in making the desired appointment to the committee for all preferred candidates of the foundation. I would like to thank the five members from the bottom of my heart for their willingness to support the foundation on this committee from now on.”
Christoph Spötl – Section Science
Prof. Dr. Christoph Spötl, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Innsbruck and member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, was close to Franke not only through his own palaeoclimatic research, but also as a former long-standing president of the Austrian Speleological Society. The Foundation Herbert W. Franke is already cooperating with of of his institutes and the International Competence Center for Speleothem Research.
Margit Rosen – Section Art
The art historian Margit Rosen is Head of the Knowledge Department – Collection, Archives & Research at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe with extensive research and publication activities on the history and aesthetics of the electronic arts. She was a friend of Franke’s for decades. Since its establishment in 2022 shortly after Franke’s death, the foundation has continued this trusting collaboration with Margit Rosen in the context of cataloging the Archive Herbert W. Franke.
(Foto: Felix Gruenschloss)
Felix Mittelberger – Archive Herbert W. Franke
Felix Mittelberger, art historian and archivist, is the head archivist at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. In this role, he has been responsible for cataloging the Archive Herbert W. Franke for several years. It comprises around 30 linear meters today. The first parts came to the ZKM as early as in 2017. Since then, Mittelberger has always worked closely with Franke and is now regarded as an outstanding expert on the work of Herbert W. Franke. Since his death in 2022, the foundation has taken on this task supporting different projects. One of these was the digitization of the analogue archive with more than 2,200 manuscripts by Franke which are now accessible to the public.
Markus Michalek – Section Literature
Markus Michalek is co-managing director of the literary agency AVA international. It was set up in the 1970s by Roman Hocke and the former Bertelsmann and Heyne publisher Reinhold G. Stecher. Since that time, AVA has accompanied Franke’s literary work as an agency with Roman Hocke and Markus Michalek. Since Franke’s death, the AVA international also supported the foundation in all publishing activities in friendly affection.
(Photo: Pierre Jarawan)
Manuel Gerber – Section Estate Marketing
Dr. Manuel Gerber is co-owner of Gerber & Stauffer Fine Arts in Zurich, a globally active art dealer specializing in 20th century art. As an expert in art market econometrics, he also advises institutional and private clients on art investment and collateralisation. Manuel Gerber also got to know Herbert W. Franke, whom he held in high esteem personally, and has been a helpful friend to the foundation since its inception with his extensive expertise in the art market.
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