Art dealer Michael Werner, who has galleries in New York, London, and Märkisch Wilmersdorf in Germany, will receive France’s Legion of Honor in the rank of chevalier at a private ceremony on the evening of February 22 in Berlin. The honor is being given in recognition of Werner’s tremendous contributions to the arts. The award is France’s highest decoration.
Werner donated 130 artworks in 2012 to the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris. The museum’s director, Fabrice Hergott, said the gift was “the most significant enrichment of the museum’s collection since the bequest made by Dr. Maurice Giradin in 1953, which led to the creation of the institution.” In 2015, Werner collaborated with the museum for a major retrospective on German artist Markus Lüpertz, who will receive his first US retrospective this summer—a joint effort presented by the Hirshhorn Museum and the Phillips Collection, co-organized by Michael Werner Gallery.
