50 Years Bonner Kunstverein
July 14, 2013, from noon
Bonner Kunstverein
Hochstadenring 22
53119 Bonn, Germany
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11am–5pm;
Thursday 11am–7pm
The Bonner Kunstverein is proud to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary on Sunday, July 14. With its many guests, this special day emphasizes the democratic spirit that has been at the core of this institution since its formation. The Bonner Kunstverein (Art Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1963 by residents of the city. Initially a product of the nineteenth century, many new Kunstvereins were established in the post-war era with a view to correcting the troubled relationship towards modern art. Following up on the success of the first documenta in 1955, there was likewise much civic interest in building structures dedicated to culture. More than 300 Kunstvereins in Germany now devote themselves to presenting a younger generation of artists. Based on democratic principles, this institution is actively involved in making art accessible to a wider audience. The yearly editions—the so-called Jahresgaben—allow our members to acquire art at special conditions. Particular attention is paid to its educational program and children’s activities, for which the Bonner Kunstverein has received several awards.
Over the years, the history of the Bonner Kunstverein has been marked by a remarkable track of solo exhibitions by such artists as Artist Placement Group, Joseph Beuys, Alighiero Boetti, Mark Dion, Marlene Dumas, Charline Von Heyl, Annette Kelm, Michaela Meise, Annette Messager, Gregor Schneider and Nancy Spero, just to name a few. Its history has also been shaped by a strong involvement in the Feminism debate and, accordingly, by an exhibition program that was “contrary to the machismo of that time,” as Jürgen Harten, the former director of the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf recently termed it. This tradition is also reflected in the ongoing anniversary exhibition HERstories / Ihre Geschichte(n), which addresses the legacy of artistic strategies initiated by women artists for the younger generation.
The Bonner Kunstverein would like to express its gratitude to its members, to the artists who participated in its program, to its financial sponsors as well as to all those who have supported this institution for the last five decades. Everyone is welcome to join us on July 14 and partake in the interventions of Christian Falsnaes and Suse Weber; to interact with the outdoor project by Nicolas Party and to explore the history of the institution through the photographs of Franz Fischer, which will be presented in dialogue with members who have been following our program over these many years.
HERstories / Ihre Geschichte(n)
25 May–25 August 2013
Monika Baer / Monika Baer, Spartacus Chetwynd / Katharina Sieverding, Christian Falsnaes /Marianne Wex, Diango Hernandez / Friederike Tebbe, Rita McBride / Marlene Dumas, Melissa Gordon,Petra Maitz, Anne Pöhlmann, Nicolas Party / Miriam Cahn, Suse Weber / Charlotte Salomon