In 2006, Andrea Dibelius curated the Thomas Mann House’s inaugural exhibition, AUF EIGENE ART’ in Munich, which was presented in honour of German author and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann and as a rearticulation of Mann's historically poignant home, Genius Loci. (Poschinger Strasse 1, Munich)

With the goal of transmuting history and thoughts from the past into a contemporary visual form and language for today’s world, Dibelius invited a select group of artists to re-interpret the literature and philosophy of Thomas Mann and the historical significance of Genius Loci (The Thomas Mann House).

Artists included Robert Barta, Renate Brandt, Michael Ebmeyer, Thomas Florschuetz, Katarina Grosse, Thomas Huber, Olav Christopher Jenssen, Gudrun Kemsa, Dieter Mammel, Nanne Meyer, Roland Schappert and Heike Weber.

Over time further artists such as Julian Opie, Ai Weiwei, Francis Upritchard, Philippe Lachmann, Philippe Starck, Izima Kaoru, Romuald Hazoumè, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Roman Ondak and Sylvie Fleury completed the site specific collection.
By establishing a collaboration with the Thomas Mann Association, the perfect foundation for an ongoing and interdisciplinary exchange within the community had been set.