Save the art kite collection "Pictures for the Sky". Stop its auction on February 23rd 2022!

SAVE THE ART KITE COLLECTION "PICTURES FOR THE SKY"

STOP ITS AUCTION on February 23, 2022!

We think that the unity and integrity of this unique collection of art kites must be preserved and its auctioning be prevented, because this will lead to its dispersion.

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This collection consists of more than 150 Japanese kites, painted by the most famous contemporary artists (such as Rauschenberg, Uematsu, Tinguely, Vasarely, Stella...), and has been seen in worldwide exhibitions by more than 3 million visitors.

It was in the late 80s that Dr. Paul Eubel, director of the Goethe Institute in Osaka (Japan), discovered the world of kites. This gave him the idea to create a collection of artistic kites and, so to speak, to use the sky as an art gallery. 

Shortly before his death in 2010,  Dr. Paul Eubel tried to offer the collection to the City of Berlin in exchange for its permanent residence at the disused Tempelhof Airport. Unfortunately, the City declined the offer, in view of the costs involved. Since then, the collection has been stored in two large containers in Turin, Italy. Time and carelessness have destroyed much of the material. Many of the kites are damaged by mildew.

We think that Tempelhof Airport is indeed the ideal place to house this collection: for years, the huge area around the former airport has been adopted by Berlin's kiteflyers (it is probably the largest inner-city kite-flying field in the world).

The heirs of Dr. Paul Eubel have now given the kites to Nagel House to put up for auction in Stuttgart on Feb. 23, 2022 as if the kites were their property. But this auction is illegitimate, because the kites are not owned by the heirs of Dr. Paul Eubel, who was never the owner of these kites, but who enjoyed the confidence of the artists, who are the true owners.

SO, PLEASE:

• Demand the stop of the auction of the art kite collection"Paintings for the Sky" by the Nagel Auction House, with also your signature.
• Ask the German Ministry of Culture to protect the integrity of this collection.
• Ask the Goethe Institute, who initiated this collection, to face its responsability towards it.
• Ask the Berlin Senate to house this collection in the hangers of Tempelhof Airport.
• Help with a donation to finance the costs of an interim injunction against this auction.
• Share this request with friends and acquaintances to spread the word and increase the pressure!