Woman brings her late husband’s art to the world

Twenty years ago, Dagmar Woyde-Köhler's life changed abruptly. She lost her husband, the artist Oubey, in a car accident on the B9. To ensure that his art lives on, Woyde-Köhler founded the “Mindkiss” project. And it inspires people from all over the world.

On August 2, 2004, the RHEINPFALZ reported on a traffic accident on the B9 between Römerberg/Dudenhofen and Schwegenheim. A truck crashed into a small car that was parked on the hard shoulder with its hazard warning lights on. The driver of the car was the young artist Oubey, whose real name was Rudi Wendelin-Köhler from Karlsruhe. It was a shock for everyone close to him, but especially for his wife Dagmar Woyde-Köhler, who lives part of the time in Dudenhofen. Despite her bewilderment, she quickly realized: “I didn’t want to sell his artworks; fortunately, I wasn’t financially forced to do so. I wanted to continue to make his art accessible to people to the best of my knowledge and belief.”

The art collection, which Dagmar Woyde-Köhler has since carefully exhibited and managed, consists mainly of paintings. Oubey preferred to work with a mixture of pigment paints on hardboard. But he also always saw himself as a pioneer who experimented with new art forms, as Dagmar Woyde-Köhler recounts: “As early as 1987/88, he was experimenting with a drawing program on an Amiga. My husband always wanted to create multi-layered and diverse art, but never wanted it to seem arbitrary.”

Oubey enjoyed commercial success early on, selling all of his artworks at his first exhibition. A major career in the traditional art market suddenly seemed possible—and the pressure on Oubey grew: “I noticed that he was very happy about this, but it also preoccupied him. He told me that if I continued like this, I would lose the source of my art, so I advised him to take a break from exhibitions,” says Woyde-Köhler. Instead, the artist worked in his studio for years. In 2004, an exhibition was finally scheduled to take place, the first in twelve years. But then the accident happened.

Philippines and New Zealand

Woyde-Köhler soon decided to launch the “Mindkiss” project and continue to make Oubey’s art accessible to people in exhibitions and on the internet. “I see myself as a collector, especially of reactions,” says Woyde-Köhler, describing her work. “Because something completely new emerges from the reactions to his art.”

And indeed, Dagmar Woyde-Köhler has been able to reach people all over the world through her husband’s art and her project, which is named after her husband’s first exhibition. In 2023, there was a four-month exhibition in Manila in the Philippines, Woyde-Köhler met US astronomer Seth Shostak and collaborated with graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. She also visited a Maori school in New Zealand.

Everywhere she went, people looked at Oubey’s art with fascination and found inspiration and stimulation, his wife asserts. “But the best thing is actually all the encounters and interesting conversations that are facilitated by Oubey and his art. He would definitely have been delighted to see what his art does to people and would certainly have liked to be part of these conversations,” says Woyde-Köhler.

Interactive project planned

Depth and inspiration have always been what made Oubey’s art so special. Woyde-Köhler describes her husband’s work as follows: “His art is an ode to the joy of discovery. He always had a keen interest in interdisciplinary subjects and combined scientific interest and philosophical approaches in his works. He was firmly convinced that everything is connected.” This approach has now led to great success and recognition around the world. Even though Dagmar Woyde-Köhler does not measure the success of her project in terms of fame or numbers: “For me, success means reaching as many people as possible with Oubey’s art. Especially those outside the art scene who would not otherwise engage with it.”

To guarantee this, Dagmar Woyde-Köhler continues to plan projects and exhibitions. Exhibitions are currently being planned in Helsinki, Barcelona, and Milan. She is also working with her partners on an interactive web experience called “Mindspace,” which is scheduled to launch in March 2025. “Here, we want to focus on Oubey as a person and his interests,” explains Woyde-Köhler. Despite all her many projects, she manages her husband’s legacy with great responsibility and intends to continue fulfilling her promise to carry on his art.

DIE RHEINPFALZ –Marco Biallas – August 14, 2024

Photo: Andre Bakker