Helge Achenbach

Helge Achenbach (born 1952) is one of the world's most prominent art consultants. He could even be described as the inventor of this métier. The Art Agitator recounts Achenbach's experiences with famous artists over the 40 years of his exciting professional life, as he moves between Siegen and Shanghai; Berlin, Tokyo and Teheran; and between Düsseldorf and New York. Achenbach--whose initial training was in social work--talks about his gravitation to the European art world of the 1970s and his subsequent encounters and relationships with Gerhard Richter, Jörg Immendorff, Andy Warhol, Andreas Gursky, Jeff Koons and Keith Haring. He recalls exceptional large-scale projects and describes his not-always-pleasant dealings with companies, colleagues, collectors and banks. The Art Agitator is more than an account of the life of an ambitious professional. In this fully illustrated book, Helge Achenbach opens the door to the inner workings of the art market.