Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury, 64, wrote "Yes to all" in red lipstick on paper, creating an artwork that has now become the title of a major exhibition at Berlin's Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings). This paper work is part of a remarkable collection of 1,150 artworks that gallery owners Paul Maenz, 85, and Gerd de Vries, 80, have generously donated to the museum over recent years.

The couple made waves in the early 1970s with their gallery in Cologne, operating under a key principle: never follow others. This approach led them to showcase works by art revolutionaries, including members of the Mühlheimer Freiheit group. They developed close friendships with conceptual artists Hanne Darboven (1941-2009) and Hans-Peter Feldmann (1941-2023), as well as many other artists they represented.

The current exhibition features a special section called "Maschinenraum" (Engine Room), which is dedicated exclusively to behind-the-scenes activities of the gallery. This area displays posters, letters, and postcards from artist friends, providing visitors with insight into the personal relationships that shaped the gallery's operations.

After 1990, the couple closed their Cologne gallery and relocated to Berlin, initially setting up at Pariser Platz before eventually settling near Lietzensee, where they currently live surrounded by their art collection. For Maenz and de Vries, the most important aspect of their generous donations was ensuring that collectors and museums operate on equal footing, treating each other as peers rather than in a hierarchical relationship.

Berlin has brilliantly fulfilled this requirement and is now honoring the donors with this exhibition, particularly in anticipation of the new Museum of Modern Art currently under construction at the Kulturforum. According to Dagmar Korbacher, 50, director of the Kupferstichkabinett, three halls in the new museum will be permanently dedicated to displaying collections from various patrons and benefactors.

The exhibition runs until January 11 at Matthäikirchplatz in Tiergarten, with visiting hours Wednesday through Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, and weekends from 11 AM to 6 PM. Admission is 8 euros.