OPENING 1.0 THE 2020 SEASON

“In 20 minutes it’s time to unlock the doors – and right, don’t forget: Get the children who are registered for the children’s opening to hang up their jackets on the coat rack.” This is what we were saying last Saturday, preparing ourselves for our first vernissage of the year, the joint opening of the exhibitions Seascapes: From Romanticism to Classical Modernism and SEA PIECES: Facts and Fiction, held on Saturday, 29 February, at 2.30 pm for children and at 3:00 pm for adults. The youngsters were allowed to visit the new exhibitions first, and Sylvia Haumersen, our head of art education, took a very close look at individual works with her young audience during this exclusive children’s opening. Afterwards they went to the workshop, where they could create their own artworks. The young artists painted, laughed and, once finished, played in the Hygge room, which is located right next to the art workshop.

 

 

 

While this was going on, their parents could sit in the large event room at Grethjens Gasthof and listen to the talks by Prof. Wolff-Thomsen, Director of the MKdW, and Harald F. Theiss, curator of the exhibition SEA PIECES: Facts and Fiction. Axel Meynköhn, General Manager of Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei (WDR – faehre.de), the exhibitions’ main sponsor, was present as well, entertaining guests with his description of the link between the exhibitions and the North Sea in his welcoming address. For anyone who was in attendance, thank you very much for being there. We were very honoured.

 

 

Twenty-four artists are participating in the exhibition SEA PIECES. It is wonderful that seven of them made the journey here to celebrate this special day together with the curator and us. After the official reception, everyone went on to the galleries. The artists Angelika Arendt, Jessica Backhaus, Astrid Busch, Sven Drühl, Miguel Rothschild, Moritz Hirsch and Tobias Kappel mingled with the guests and there was lively conversation.

 

To us it was clear that visitors were enthralled by both exhibitions. At least we have heard nothing to the contrary! With perhaps the exception that yesterday, on Wednesday, at the beginning of March, someone mentioned in the guest book that “old” art actually suited him much better. Which is, of course, natural – we all have different preferences.

 

Because the artist talks are always very well received, we made sure that a special tour of the show SEA PIECES: Facts and Fiction was offered on the day after the opening. This artist talk was presented by our colleague Dr Christiane Morsbach. Curator Harald F. Theiss, from Berlin, talked about the development of the exhibition and the selection process for works, while the artists Angelika Arendt, Jessica Backhaus, Astrid Busch, Sven Drühl and Tobias Kappel gave personal presentations of their work. It was nothing short of wonderful! An all-round fantastic opening weekend. Thank you very much to everyone who was there and made it possible. 

 

 

 

Now you are surely asking yourself what will await you when you come to visit us. Seascapes: From Romanticism to Classical Modernism gives an overview of the seascape as a genre of painting and serves as an informative counterpart to the corresponding show SEA PIECES: Facts and Fiction, which is on at the same time and focuses on contemporary art. Among the 28 artists presented in the shows are Andreas Achenbach, Peder Severin Krøyer, Edvard Munch and Hendrik Willem Mesdag.

 

In this context, the exhibition SEA PIECES is an attempt to start from a contemporary perspective and give close artistic consideration to the different scenarios unfolding between fact and fiction, and to explore current developments in the perception and interpretation of the sea.

 

 

 

By the way, it is now very easy to become a friend, sponsor or patron. Just visit our lounge and reading area for supporters of the MKdW and fill in our brief registration form. You can post it right there – our post box is checked every day! Afterwards, you are welcome to leave a comment as a new friend, sponsor or patron on our chalkboard wall. A hearty thank you goes to Andrea Gmelin | Wohnwerkstatt. The shelf and the curtains fit very nicely: They make the space a haven from which you can gaze across the large garden. You can also find more information here: Become a friend, sponsor or patron now

 

 

 

Text and image: Christina Scheel, B.A., Social Media & Medienmanagement, MKdW