Living Moments - N°4 Edition 2017

7TaTYR 8ZXPY_^ Edition 4 · 2016/17 104 The Galerie Thomas was able to present a special treat in 1978; an exhibition of works by Alexej von Jawlenskys, which had never before been seen. Another milestone in the history of the gallery was the acquisition of significant ex- pressionist works of the legendary “Collection Rheingarten”. From the beginning it was essential for Raimund Thomas to show exhibition highlights. With the cycle of “Die blauen Vier” (The Blue Four), which successively showed Klee, Kandinsky, Jawlensky and Feininger in individual shows,he continued the tradition of his great predecessors, among others the gallerists, Günter Franke and Otto Stangl. True to the motto “If you rest you rust”, Raimund Thomas integrated his art know-how with other art branches as well. Together with four additional art traders he became co-founder of the auction house, Villa Grisebach, in Berlin in 1986. As a great supporter of contemporary art, Thomas championed artists like Mimmo Paladino, Nicola De Maria, Franceso Clemente, Enzo Cucchi and Jean-Michel Basquiat. And, time and again, he also offered the graffiti artists and the Berlin-based “Neuen Wilden” a platform. As a matter-of-fact, a pioneering spirit is one of the characteristics which Rai- mund Thomas has exemplified all his life. Characteristic of this was the open- ing of his private art hall, the A 11 Art Forum in 1987, where he realised his Zu einer Zeit, als die Ausstellung mit den Heldenbildern von Baselitz von der Staatsanwaltschaft in Berlin geschlossen wurde, war eine Schau mit den »Nudes« vonWesselmann durchaus ein Risiko. Fernando Botero "RecliningWoman", 2006 © Fernando Botero 2016 Peter Halley auf der Art Basel, Basel 2016 © Peter Halley 2016 anzeige