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NRW Audit Office Defends €135,000 Artwork in New Düsseldorf HQ After Criticism

The office says the state building authority ran the competition, which set the funding level.

Overview

  • The Landesrechnungshof’s new Düsseldorf building features a blue wall tapestry with LED elements that cost €135,000 and was unveiled in recent weeks.
  • The money came from a North Rhine–Westphalia funding pot administered by the Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb, and the LRH says it had no influence on the amount.
  • Greens budget expert Simon Rock questioned President Brigitte Mandt’s role in selecting the piece given the tight state finances.
  • The work was commissioned through a competition for the building’s artistic design and was created by a Cologne-based artist.
  • Reports note no formal investigation or spending reversal, as the dispute focuses on optics following recent LRH critiques of costly purchases in other ministries.