Fire Destroys Rosemarie Trockel's Collection in Cologne

A fire at Rosemarie Trockel's residence in Cologne on May 2, 2016, destroyed or significantly damaged works from her personal collection, including a piece by Andy Warhol and her own works. The blaze, possibly caused by an electrical fault in a refrigerator, completely burned at least one basement room where most artworks were stored, with estimated damages of around €30 million. Trockel was traveling at the time and unharmed; a spokesperson for Sprüth Magers, her gallery, confirmed relief that no one was injured. No details on the number or identity of lost works or damage to the villa were disclosed. Trockel, a prominent German artist born in Schwerte in 1952, studied in Cologne, influenced by Joseph Beuys, and emerged amid male-dominated figures like Anselm Kiefer and Sigmar Polke. She participated in documenta in 1997 with then-partner Carsten Höller and had a solo show at MoMA in New York. Her knitted textile works recently sold at Sotheby's New York for $5 million.