We have known for a while that Jonathan Monk also collects works by other artists and that there are some parallels between our collections. It thus made sense to invite Jonathan to select works from his and our collection for a group exhibition. It was a logical progression from the ten-year contract already uniting the artist and the collector.
The result is a show telling many stories. Take, for example, the two “Buren” works by Christopher Williams. Jonathan had mentioned they would be at Art Basel; we got them straight away. When Jonathan wanted to purchase the work for himself, he had to settle for a black and white version of the work.
Or the photographs by Jerry McMillan, who actually became famous through his photographs of Ed Ruscha. We acquired the pictures from the show independently of one another; Jonathan has one photograph more than we do. Both of us have the early artist books by Ruscha from the 1960’s and 1970’s. But while there is only one instance of Crackers in our collection, Jonathan has nineteen of them.
We both have a “striped” wall piece. Jonathan has one by Daniel Buren, we have one by Terry Haggerty, which was installed in our dining room in düsseldorf. terry made another one just for this show, but had to adjust it to the different room dimensions. Is it still an original?
Both of our collections feature works by Markus Sixay. I am prepared for you consists of 150 kilograms of confetti that Sixay dumped onto the floor at his first exhibition (a nod to the candy works by Félix González-Torres). This contrasts starkly with Sixay’s feather-light beach ball in the monk collection. Together they offer a rather offbeat seaside oasis.
Jonathan didn’t ask if Ian Wilson, one of the most radical proponents of conceptual art, would allow both of his circles to be positioned opposite one another in a kind of dialogue. what he does do – as with so many of the works he selected – is showing us the amazing parallels that exist between our two collections.

Axel Haubrok

List of works Haubrok Collection

Edgar Arceneaux
Morgan Fisher’s Peugeot, 2006

Maurizio Cattelan
untitled (Notepad), 2005

Maurizio Cattelan
untitled, 2000

Ólafur Elíasson
Drawing machine for all ellipses, 2008

Rodney Graham
untitled (6), 2005

Wade Guyton
untitled, 2008

Jens Haaning
Bagdad time, 2005

Terry Haggerty
untitled (Wall drawing), 2007/2009

Jerry McMillan
Ed covered with 12 of his books, 1970

Jerry McMillan
Ed Ruscha with six of his books balanced on his head, 1970

David Shrigley
untitled (Invitation / poster), 2009

David Shrigley
Cocaine and heroin, 2002

Markus Sixay
I am prepared for you, 2003

Franz West
untitled (Couch), 1997

Christopher Williams
Supplement 04, 2004

Christopher Williams
One of 406 ceiling panels (23 3/4 × 23 3/4 inches each)
Covered on the back with striped paper (green and white)
Each stripe 8.7 cm
From “Frost and Defrost: A work in situ by Daniel Buren”
Otis Art Institute Gallery, 2401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
January 28 – March 4, 1979
Al Glicksman, Gallery Director; Christopher D’Arcangelo, Assistant to Daniel Buren
Photography by the Douglas M. Parker Studio, Glendale, California
May 4, 2006, 2006

Ian Wilson
Circle on the floor, 1968

Johannes Wohnseifer
Lightweight mirror, 2003

List of works Monk Collection

Robert Barry
untitled (Closed gallery), 1969

Alighiero e Boetti
Orologio (Watch), 1990

Daniel Buren
A diagonal for a rhodamine wall, 2006

Elisabetta Catalano
Boetti, Rome, 1972

Ryan Gander
Enough to start over, 2006

Mario García Torres
untitled (Ceramica suro), 2003

Mario García Torres
Contradictory licit registry, 2002

Dan Graham
Homes for America, 1966

Jens Haaning
Bagdad time, 2005

Damian Hirst
Beermat, 1993

Sol LeWitt
Drawing for a sculpture, 1971

Jerry McMillan
Ed Ruscha says goodbye to college joys, 2004

Jerry McMillan
Ed covered with 12 of his books, 1970

Jerry McMillan
Ed Ruscha with six of his books balanced on his head, 1970

Allen Ruppersberg
Honey, I rearranged the collection, 2002

Ed Ruscha
Sweets, meats, sheets (From the tropical fish series), 1975

Ed Ruscha
Ed Ruscha says goodbye to college joys, 1967

Markus Sixay
Ceci n’est pas un moyen de sauvetage, 2005

Josh Smith
untitled (JS07223), 2007

Ettore Sottsass
Mirror, 1982

Christopher Williams
Prototype (photo of Daniel Buren ceiling panel), 2006
Courtesy MRM Collection, Berlin / Karlsruhe

Ian Wilson
The fifth circle on the wall, 1968