moving|in
60 current projects in the Hamburg Kunsthalle
»The citizens of Hamburg may look with rightful pride upon these halls dedicated to fine art and the works of art they hold!« These words were spoken in 1869 on the occasion of the opening of the Hamburg Kunsthalle. Some 130 years later, the Kunsthalle is opening up its exhibition spaces to the 47 international artists taking part in moving|in MUSEUM WORKS. Works from the collection of the Hamburg Kunsthalle , supplemented by examples of selected historical positions, provide the background to the exhibition.
Whereas in the 1960s artists turned their backs on the established art institutions and took art into the realms of everyday life, artists today have adopted to take a new approach to the existing museum situation. For these artists, the context in which contemporary art is presented is a crucial aspect of their work. They present their art in museum surroundings and enter into a dialogue with the reality and structural conditions of the institution.
In this exhibition, the entire complex of the Hamburg Kunsthalle provides the basis for artistic exploration, encompassing not only the established structures of the museum itself but also many areas not normally involved in the presentation of art. The artists examine the institutional framework, explore the possibilities offered to them by the museum and observe how their art reacts in this context. The artist couple p.t.t.red, for instance, attempts to estimate the value of the Hamburg Kunsthalle. Angela Bulloch, Andrea Fraser and Stephen Willats reveal the institution’s implicit rules, while Franka Hörnschemeyer and Heimo Zobernig take an individual approach to the architectural structure of the exhibition spaces, drawing attention to it in the process. Zobernig allows his services as an artist to be employed directly - he is responsible for designing the exhibition »Rembrandt, oder nicht?« which is being shown concurrently in the Hamburg Kunsthalle and therefore becomes an exhibition within the exhibition.
In the projects of Klaus Föttinger, Christine Hill, Susanne Weirich, Sery C., Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Hörbelt everyday functional areas of the building are re-evaluated. The café, the foyer and the toilets become exhibition spaces. These works play with and at the same time undermine visitors’ traditional expectations of a museum.
What happens when a room with an everyday functional purpose is installed in a museum can be seen in the contributions of Maria Eichhorn, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Carsten Höller. They provide an invitation to linger, an offer of recreation or amusement and the chance to reflect on the perceptive possibilities afforded by a museum.
Moving|in MUSEUM WORKS rises to the challenge once posed by Alfred Lichtwark, the first director of the Hamburg Kunsthalle: »If museums are not to fossilize they must be open to change. Each generation will offer them new tasks and demand new accomplishments from them.«