Per Diem: The Gerd Metzdorff Collection

Ranging from drawing, painting, photography, installation and sculpture, Gerd Metzdorff’s full collection was drawn together over a period of almost forty years. Originally derived from Metzdorff’s modest savings of the per diems provided to him by the airline where he was employed as a steward, he purchased work by some of the most important European and Canadian artists working today. With the passing of this remarkable Vancouver-based collector, this stunning collection features luminaries such as Linda Benglis, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Donald Judd and numerous others.

Per Diem: The Gerd MetzdorffCollection features the collection of Gerd Metzdorff in its entirety, boasting the work of German, American and Canadian artists. Metzdorff’s collection was presented to the public for the first time at Griffin Art Projects in a two-part exhibition spanning two years. In 2022, the first Per Diem project featured primarily photo-based and print elements from Gerd Metzdorff’s collection, and in 2023’s Per Diem Part II, painting in all its forms was highlighted, with both exhibitions also displaying selected sculptural works. This catalogue chronicles both exhibitions as well as the remainder of Metzdorff’s collection.