Neo Rauch, *1960

Neo Rauch, one of the main representatives of the New Leipzig School, is one of the most popular artists of the present day. His paintings are mostly large in format. Bringing together graphic elements from comics and advertising with elements of social realism, they refer back to the days of the former East Germany. With his various unconnected, collage-like strands, Rauch creates everyday scenes frozen in a surreal way. Especially in the USA, he has become the superstar of German artists. His representational-style paintings sell for dizzying sums even before they have been created. The Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig has an important collection of the artist's works. There are regular exhibitions of works by the New Leipzig School in the numerous galleries at the Baumwollspinnerei in Leipzig, a former cotton mill on the edge of the city. Many artists, including Neo Rauch, have their studio there. The Art Museum in Wolfsburg also has a collection of Rauch's works.