eigen+art - Plus / History

Screenshot miejsce magazine, Issue 10/2024, Article by Lynn Rother

EIGEN + ART in New York Article

Enjoy this deep dive into the history of Galerie EIGEN + ART and the times in 1993, when the gallery had a temporary space in SoHo, New York.

This article analyzes an initiative undertaken by the EIGEN + ART Gallery, founded in Leipzig in 1983 in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), which involved opening a four-month branch in New York’s SoHo district. The branch operated in the spring of 1993, during a period marked by a severe crisis in the American art market and a deep recession in reunified Germany. The event was widely covered in the German media, which regarded it as an act of courage.

East Germany Comes to New York - The 1993 SoHo Venture of Leipzig’s EIGEN + ART
Text: Lynn Rother in cooperation with Frank Eckart
Published at MIEJSCE 10/2024
All Images from the Archive of Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin
The article is in English

Front View of the former gallery from "Leipzig und die Fritz-Austel-Straße 31", 2007

EIGEN + ART History Publication

About the special history of a space: Leipzig and the Fritz-Austel-Straße 31

In the backyard of the former Fritz-Austel-Straße 31 in Leipzig stands a small, now renovated former factory building with a remarkable history. Following its trail, you immediately find yourself in artistic circles whose work, starting around 20 years ago, has had a special significance for the development of art in Leipzig to this day. Gerd Harry Lybke was the initiator at the time. We are talking about the beginnings of the Galerie EIGEN + ART.

In this catalogue of the exhibition in 2007 at Kunsthalle der Sparkasse in Leipzig you will find great photos and facts about the beginning of the gallery during the GDR and ist artists.

The publication is in German.

Publisher: Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Leipzig
Edit: Dr. Claus Baumann, Gitta Große
Design: wpunktw kommunikation + werbung gmbh, Leipzig
© 2007 Sparkasse Leipzig and the authors, (cb) SÄCHSISCHE KUNSTWERK
ISBN 3-9809160-8-1

Screenshot, Homepage "Kunstszene Ost", Gerd Harry Lybke

Gerd Harry Lybke Interview

Gallery owner Gerd Harry Lybke talks about his experineces with the police of the former GDR (Staatssicherheit), money, which played no role in the GDR, and the rise of his Galerie EIGEN + ART.

The interview project “Kunstszene/Ost – Biografien im Umbruch” (Art Scene/East – Biographies in Transition) brings together 20 interviews conducted by journalists Birgit Grimm and Sarah Alberti with important figures from the GDR art scene, some of whom are still active today. The full versions of all the interviews are accompanied by short video interviews and portrait photos by Thomas Kretschel.

Interview: Sarah Alberti & Birgit Grimm
The website is in German

Gerd Harry Lybke, Antje Riis, 2024, Foto: Rene Riis

Gerd Harry Lybke Audio

Interview for the podcast Born in the GDR: Geschichte(n) aus einem verschwundenen Land:

Gerd Harry Lybke talks about nude modeling, his Stasi files, the awakening after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the development of the gallery's profile.

Interview with Antje Riis, 2024
@born_in_the_gdr
German

Deutschlandradio, Interview Gerd Harry Lybke, Berlin, 2023

Gerd Harry Lybke Audio

"Das Ziel meiner Arbeit ist Unsterblichkeit / The aim of my work is immortality." (Gerd Harry Lybke)

Listen to this radio interview with Gerd Harry Lybke about the history of the gallery, the times in the former GDR and the cooperation with our artists.

Deutschlandradio feature / mediatheque
Interview with Marietta Schwarz
German

Private photo, Gerd Harry Lybke with his mother and brother

Gerd Harry Lybke Interview

In 2021 all artists, the gallery team and friends asked Gerd Harry Lybke aka "Judy" a question each for his 60th Birthday. Enjoy the answers and this personal insight!

The Interview is accompanied by selected exclusive images from the private archives. All questions and answers are in German.

Concept: Sarah Alberti
Edit: Hannah-Constanze Grabner
Graphic Design: Hagen Tanneberger
© Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin, 2021

Jan Kage and Judy Lybke in Berlin

Gerd Harry Lybke Audio

Judy Lybke in an interview about the exhibition JOTT HOCH 2 at Schau Fenster Berlin 2025.

Do you remember how it was in the beginning? When showing art was meaningful in itself and was staged purely for fun? When it wasn't about selling, but just about connecting? When we didn't need money anyway? Little to live on and even less to get something big off the ground? The spirit from which everything else grew and which still permeates our activities today. That's where we're going again. That's where we refuel. That's what we stage.

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Radio Arty, FluxFM (100,6), 23.02.2025
Interview in German

Radio Arty / FluxFM, Interview with Gerd Harry Lybke, 2023

40 years EIGEN + ART | Radio Arty Audio

RADIO ARTY on FluxFM makes art audible, informs about exciting artists and which exhibition you should not miss. Listen to an interview between Gerd Harry Lybke and Jan Kage.

Enjoy!

The Interview is from the Audiothek of FluxFM (100,6) and in German.

Kunstmagazin Parnass, Interview Gerd Harry Lybke, 2023

Gerd Harry Lybke Article

Uta Baier from Kunstmagazin Parnass interviewed Gerd Harry Lybke at our Berlin gallery in November 2023.

The story of the beginning has been told many times: Gerd Harry "Judy" Lybke, born in Leipzig in 1961, was so politically inconvenient to the GDR government that he was not allowed to study or work in any socialist company. He therefore worked as a nude model at the art academy in Leipzig. On the side, he showed his friends' art in his apartment. He was in his early 20's. The first exhibition under the name "Eigen + Art" opened on April 10, 1983 - 40 years ago.

Kunstmagazin Parnass
Interview with Uta Baier
German

#30 "WELTKUNST Podcast - What Does Art Do?" - Interview with Gerd Harry Lybke, 2023

40 years EIGEN + ART / #30 - Judy Lybke Audio

In a conversation between Gerd Harry Lybke and Lisa Zeitz, they talk about his life in the GDR, where he opened his first gallery, his sideline as a nude model in a university preliminary course, the Gallery Weekend Berlin and many other exciting moments from his life.

The podcast is number 30 of the WELTKUNST series and in German.

Filmstill, Kunsthändler, 2017, arte / radiobremen

40 years EIGEN + ART / Kunsthändler, 2017 Video

This great documentary from 2017 captures not just an interview with Gerd Harry Lybke (aka Judy) on his journey between Venice, Paris, Berlin and Leipzig but also interviews with artists like Neo Rauch, Marc Desgrandchamps or Ulrike Theusner.

Also get an impression of the exhibitions by Neo Rauch at Galerie EIGEN + ART Berlin or Mirjam Völker at Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig in 2017. And much more....

Kunsthändler, 2017, arte / radiobremen
Film by: Grit Lederer
ca. 26 min
Documentary in a series with Larry Gagosian, Paul Cassirer by arte / radiobremen
German, no subtitles

Runde Geburtstage, ART COLOGNE Journal 2023

Runde Geburtstage Article

As chance would have it, some important galleries are celebrating anniversaries at ART COLOGNE this year. This includes Galerie EIGEN + ART , the only gallery from the former GDR to have made the leap onto the international stage.

Article from the Art Cologne Journal, 2023
German

Filmstill, archive material Gerd Harry Lybke, mdr 2017

40 years EIGEN + ART / Galerist und Erfinder der Neuen Leipziger Schule Video

This film shows the life of Gerd Harry Lybke, aka Judy, and accompanies him as he brings his artists to collectors on the international stage, opens exhibitions, visits Neo Rauch or Uwe Kowksi in their studios and more.

Judy Lybke talks about his life, his beginnings, his own experiences from the GDR, about the changes in the art scene and how the historical place - the "Spinnerei" - became a center for art and culture that is unique in Europe.
Interviews e.g. with Uwe Kowski, Neo Rauch, Titus Schade, Kerstin Wahala, Alfred Weidinger - Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig and Steffen Hildebrandt - G2 Kunstsammlung Leipzig.

Judy Lybke - Galerist und Erfinder der Neuen Leipziger Schule, 2017
Film by: Nicola Graef und Kira Pohl.
mdr, ca. 29 min
German, no subtitles

Filmstill, Die Ostdeutschen, Interview, 2014

40 years EIGEN + ART / Die Ostdeutschen, 2014 Video

In this documentary from 2014 you will get great insight into the exhibitions by Neo Rauch, Birgit Brenner and Stella Hamberg at our galleries as well as the group show still not moving at the first location of EIGEN + ART Lab.

Enjoy Gerd Harry Lybke in conversation about his artists, the origins of Galerie EIGEN + ART and interviews with e.g. Carsten Nicolai, Birgit Brenner, Stella Hamberg.

Die Ostdeutschen, 2014
15 min documentary Gerd Harry Lybke (aka Judy)
German, no subtitle

Filmstill, Ein Sachse erobert den Kunstmarkt, 2008, mdr

40 years EIGEN + ART / Ein Sachse erobert den Kunstmarkt, 2008 Video

Have look into our gallery in Berlin before it's remodelling and join Gerd Harry Lybke and his team during exhibition preparations in Berlin and Leipzig.

With interviews of Gerd Harry Lybke (aka Judy), Birgit Brenner, Martin Eder, Stella Hamberg, Christiane zu Salm, some team members and many more.

Ein Sachse erobert den Kunstmarkt, 2008, mdr
Film by: Christian Gramstadt
ca. 28:33 min
German, no subtitles

Filmstill, Lebensbilder, 1994, mdr

40 years EIGEN + ART / Lebensbilder, 1994 Video

Join us for this 29 min documentary with a 33 years old Gerd Harry Lybke (aka Judy) to all the great art fairs and exhibitions from 1991 to 1994.

Here you will not just see our booths at Art Cologne or Art Basel but also great interviews with artists we used to work with from the start, like e.g. Carsten Nicolai.

Lebensbilder, 1994, mdr
Documentary by Ulla Martinson and Jürgen Ast
ca. 29 min
German, no subtitle

Filmstill, ZDF heute journal, 1993

40 years EIGEN + ART / New York, 1993 Video

Watch this historical 30 year old interview with Gerd Harry Lybke (aka Judy) during Armory Show New York in 1993. Get a tour through our temporary space on Hudson River in New York and its exhibition.

This interview was broadcast on German TV for the news channel ZDF heute journal.

TV Report: Steffen Seibert
Channel: ZDF heute jounal, 1993
ca. 3 min
German, no subtitles

Filmstill, Jörg Herold, Beiwerk, 1985

Jörg Herold, Beiwerk Video

Dive with us into Leipzig back in 1985, by watching this historic art film Beiwerk on the topic of work by Jörg Herold.

This film documents an action in a closed room in which "employees" had planned to re-enact a working day. The task is to clean and whitewash an empty factory building in Leipzig during 8 hours, as well as to take a break with a cultural programme. For all protagonists was a ban on talking. All in all, a pointless and exhausting activity that surrounded the heroic aura that justifies the term "work". However, the ban on speaking was avoided through gestural and onomatopoeic communication. Instead of subjecting oneself to the effort of mindless work, one immediately began to let the creative imagination run its course and to create a kind of common environment. The aim was not to rebel against the ban alone, but to go behind it and ultimately leave it to itself. The raising of the white flags ended the action.

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Jörg Herold
Beiwerk, 1985
Super 8, Black and White
8:40 min
Edition of 12
courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin

Concept: Jörg Herold
Actors: Gerd Harry Lybke, Jörg Herold, Frank Behrend, Götz Lehmann, Torsten Schilling, Jan Raue,Thomas Krüger
Camera: Uwe Walter