With more than 2,500 exhibits, Professor Dr. Dr. Thomas Olbricht possesses one of the most significant private art collections in Europe. It dates back to his great-grandfather, the founder of the cosmetic label “Wella,” who was a very knowledgeable contemporary art enthusiast. “The love of art,” the man from Essen is convinced, “is in my genes.”
He began to notice the first symptoms of his passion for collecting at the tender age of five. At first, stamps were the objects of his desire. Yet it did not take long before he began trying to convince his parents to buy him works of art. To no avail. Once he was old enough to have his own money in his pocket, he began visiting galleries and auctions – although he was tormented by certain apprehensions: “If I left without buying anything, I would always have the feeling that I was being stared at.”
He was soon seized by the thrill of the hunt. Beginning at national levels and quickly expanding to the international scene, he went on the prowl for “completely fresh art.” In doing so, however, Olbricht has never limited himself to a certain kind of medium. He collects everything that touches him in any way, whether paintings, photographs, videos, sculptures, Art Nouveau vases, African masks and figurines, to name but a few. And he continues to collect stamps as well.
There is one thing that all his treasures have in common: they all seem to bear relevance to the motifs of love, life and death. “These topics carry on throughout the centuries like a red thread,” Olbricht says in description of his fascination, “and they have remained pressingly relevant to this day.”
It is precisely this contrast between old and new, life and death that is reflected in his collection. He harbors a special fascination for the centuries-old artistic motif “Memento Mori” – roughly translated as “Contemplation of Death”. This affinity is expressed in multiple ways, such as the unusual placement of various exhibition pieces – for example, a life-symbolizing painting depicting a woman in a late stage of pregnancy is placed directly next to a display case containing a skull.
“But such collection principles should not constitute the only guiding principle,” says Olbricht self-critically: “I have to restrain myself time and time again and try to expand my view.” Which is apparently no easy task for someone with such a strong passion. As one small weakness, the art expert Olbricht allows himself to indulge in the collection of toy cars – although these are fittingly limited to white ambulances with red crosses on them.
Olbricht’s education and career brought him to North Rhine-Westphalia. Raised in the state of Hesse, he began studying chemistry in Marburg. Afterwards, he studied medicine in Bochum and Essen. Now, “not even ten horses” could tear him away from there. Among other reasons, this is because he considers North Rhine-Westphalia to be a location of acute creativity with an incomparably large expanse of cultural treasures: “There are fantastic possibilities here for people interested in culture and art.”
Olbricht finds the ambitious endeavors of the state’s art and culture scene “downright exemplary,” and he himself has made considerable contributions in support of these efforts. In the early summer of 2009, for example, he is planning the exhibition “Essen goes China” with contemporary Chinese art at the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Zeche Zollverein.” And with Essen as the European Capital of Culture 2010, the Ruhr Area is going to experience an “immense breakthrough.”
Many of the companies in North Rhine-Westphalia promote art and the arts in diverse ways. Olbricht considers such dedication necessary and praiseworthy, although he sees potential for optimization nonetheless. He believes art collections in companies must be designed more professionally and pursue more internationally oriented aims. Also, Olbricht continues: “Art should always be understood as a primary part of any corporate identity, because art is an indispensable commodity in our lives – including our workdays.”