Art Philanthropy as a Mode of Wealth Preservation

Lea Remmers

Private art patronage has a long tradition both in Germany and internationally. The practices, motives, and subjective meanings of art engagement for patrons must be examined with the respective social and political contexts in mind. In Germany, there has recently been a significant increase in private art patronage - for example in the form of foundations, private museums, or extensive loans to public art institutions. Meanwhile, there is an increasing concentration of wealth among a few families. The dissertation examines private art patronage, understood as art-focused philanthropy, in the context of individual engagement, family strategies, and wealth preservation. Empirically, the project is based on qualitative interviews with members of business families and entrepreneurs who are involved in the arts, augmented by interviews with relevant actors from the cultural sector and qualitative document analyses. Particular attention is paid to social practices in the context of family and culture, through which art philanthropy is embedded in long-term wealth preservation strategies. The aim of the dissertation is to understand how art-related engagement is embedded in family strategies, intergenerational transfer, and relationship structures, and what role it plays in the long-term preservation and reproduction of wealth.