DW : 'Putin is lying': Gerhard Richter condemns Ukraine war

Condemning the war as "criminal," the world renowned German painter is one of many artists who has donated his artworks to raise funds for refugees.

Gerhard Richter's career spans about six decades.

Considered one of the world's most important contemporary artists, German painter Gerhard Richter, has described the Ukraine war as "criminal."

"They say, 'We are not waging a war, the others are killing themselves'," said Richter, adding that "Putin is lying."

It is particularly shocking that Putin denies he is waging a war at all and that he blames the civilian victims on Ukraine,the 90-year-old artist told Germany's dpa news agency on Wednesday.

Richter, who lives in the western city of Cologne, donated five art prints of his famous candle paintings in an extra-large format to "Kunst hilft Geben" (or Art Helps Give), a non-profit organization in Cologne. Richter's various works range from oils on canvas to overpainted photographs.

He dated these particular prints with the day the war began — February 24, 2022.

'A symbol of hope'

He said the image of the candles can be seen as "a symbol of hope or consolation."

One of the famous Richter candle paintings.

"You can always have hope," the German artist said, adding that unfortunately, he cannot imagine a quick end to the war at the moment.

The Richter prints are estimated to have a value of at least €30,000 ($32,500) each, according to Dirk Kästel, initiator and chairman of the board at Art Helps Give. The proceeds of the sales are earmarked for refugees from Ukraine as well as for war victims in the country. Kästel said his organization sends them medicine and food among others. "We also provide aid in Ukraine's border region with the help of our cooperation partners."

And Richter is not the only contributor to the organization's campaign: 44 artists have already donated 108 works of art for the cause, including Rosemarie Trockel, Benjamin Katz, Sabine Moritz, Jonathan Meese and Thomas Baumgärtel. Some of the artworks will be auctioned by Van Ham in Cologne, while others are to be sold online at www.kunst-hilft-geben.de. 

GERHARD RICHTER: GERMANY'S STAR PAINTER AT 90

Gerhard Richter in his studio

Gerhard Richter at work in his Cologne studio: The picture was taken during the shoot of the documentary "Painting" by Corinna Belz. During his career spanning nearly 70 years, the Dresden-born artist repeatedly experimented with new painting styles, methods and motifs. Collectors appreciate Richter's permanent reinvention, leading him to became one of the most sought-after artists worldwide.

A late work bursting with color

After spending years without releasing many new works, for his 85th birthday in 2016, Gerhard Richter revealed his series of 26 "Neue Bilder" (New Pictures), which were exhibited at Cologne's Museum Ludwig. Featuring a frenzy of colors, forms and textures, Richter's late work once again amazed the art world.

Between calculation and coincidence

He sometimes uses a paintbrush, but also works with spatulas, squeegees or knives to create works in which layers of paint are superimposed. Coincidence plays an important role in his creations, says the artist. At the same time, his paintings are well composed and calculated, revealing his experience.

'Ema (Nude on a Staircase)' (1966)

Richter has exhibited several times at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. Museum founder Peter Ludwig was one of his collectors as early as the 1970s. This is how "Ema" found its way into the museum collection. Based on a photo of Richter's wife at the time, it is an homage to Marcel Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase" (1912).

'5 Doors' (1967)

Richter called this painting from 1967 "5 Türen" (5 Doors). The collector Peter Ludwig bought the work for his museum in Cologne. Since then, Richter has frequently changed his style, motifs and methods — and that has become the hallmark of his art. "I have no intentions, no system, no direction," Richter once said, allowing him to explore the infinite possibilities of painting.

Richter's window in the Cologne Cathedral

Another highlight of the artist's oeuvre can be seen in his adopted home city of Cologne: the stained-glass window created for the Cologne Cathedral. "I'm fascinated by coincidences," he said of its design. The color pattern of his famous and much-discussed work was generated by a computer. In it, more than 11,000 colored squares form the motif.

The 'Birkenau' cycle

Berlin also boasts an impressive collection of Richter works. The artist has loaned around 100 works to the Alte Nationalgalerie museum, including his "Birkenau" cycle, a series of four paintings based on photos of prisoners taken secretly by a Jewish captive at the death camp in Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

The mature painter

He was born in Dresden, left East Germany for the West two months before the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, and achieved world fame as a German painter. Today, Richter, who turns 90 on February 9, is considered one of the world's most important living painters and has even been dubbed "the Picasso of the 21st century."

Author: Stefan Dege

Article published on https://www.dw.com