May 11–July 6, 2025
Hannover 30159
Germany
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 12–7pm
Sunday 11am–7pm
I’ve always felt that contemporary art is much better suited to children than it is to adults. Because adults bring so many preconceived ideas and fears about art, whereas children react in a much more visceral, immediate way. The best artists should have their work seen in schools.
—Jeremy Deller, artist and curator of An Exhibition for Children (And Other People)
The new exhibition at Kunstverein Hannover brings together newly commissioned and existing works by Francis Alÿs, Lara Favaretto, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Ryan Gander, Rivane Neuenschwander, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Roman Ondak, Eva Rothschild, and David Shrigley.
It is titled An Exhibition for Children (And Other People) because it is meant for them. It is also titled like this because the artist behind the exhibition, Jeremy Deller, takes children extremely seriously, even though he himself might often seem not very serious. He even wrote a book titled Art Is Magic and subtitled it “a children’s book for adults." This is because for him, and many other artists, being a child is about seeing the world differently. We could also say that this exhibition is a cascade of serendipitous encounters. From a recent invitation by Kunstverein Hannover's director Christoph Platz-Gallus to create a new project for the art association founded in 1832, and coinciding with the anniversary of the Expo 2000—the “world fair” where Deller realized a playful work 25 years ago—grew a constellation of invitations to artists. Playfulness is central to all the works on view.
Francis Alÿs documents children’s games around the world, fascinated by their power of imagination. Lara Favaretto frequently strips things of their primary function, exchanging the logic of reason for that of connections. Peter Fischli and David Weiss question everyday life with subtle humor; their iconic film The Way Things Go follows a meticulously staged chain reaction. Ryan Gander combines children’s play with adult thought patterns and continues to surprise with shifting perspectives—here with a new work consisting of some 2000 questions, many of which should perhaps be asked more often. Rivane Neuenschwander treats language as a flexible material, encouraging active participation and the changing of roles. Temitayo Ogunbiyi designs sculptures as playgrounds that, while carrying references to the past, offer a liberating, non-scripted potential. Roman Ondak has achieved cult status with his participatory performance work Measuring the Universe, in which everyone leaves their mark. Eva Rothschild’s fragile sculptures appeal to the desire for exploration, propelling many children and young people, while David Shrigley offers visitors an (almost) classic (nude) drawing course. Kunstverein Hannover hosts an entire array of artists. While their work is truly diverse, they all share similar features: the idea to approach art from a fresh perspective— childlike, childish, child-friendly, or any other you’d choose to entertain.
Program highlights
May 10–11
Opening & Family weekend with children’s program, childcare, and artist talk: Eva Rothschild & Jeremy Deller with Christoph Platz-Gallus (in English)
May 31, 3pm
Thomas Geiger: Bust Talks—Der Löwe. Performance in front of the Künstlerhaus (in German)
June 6, 6pm
Thomas Geiger: 25 Jahre zu spät. Performance Expo Plaza (East entrance / Café Emma, in German)
June 14, 6pm to 11pm
Night of the Museums Hannover
June 28, 3pm
In der Realität sieht es anders aus: Sketching workshop with Tuğba Şimşek (in German)
July 5, 5pm
Playdate: Kindliches und Spielerisches im Wandel der Kunst. Lecture by Larissa Kikol, art historian and author (in German)
Curatorial tours
With Kunstverein Hannover director Christoph Platz-Gallus: May 14, June 11 and 26, 5pm (in German / English)
With Kunstverein Hannover curator Carlota Gómez: May 13 and June 12, 6pm (in German / English)
Press contact: Nane Anna Bohn, presse@kunstverein-hannover.de
Kunstverein Hannover is institutionally supported by Landeshauptstadt Hannover and Hannover Rück Stiftung. An Exhibition for Children (And Other People) is made possible through Kunstfonds Bonn, the Karin und Uwe Hollweg-Foundation, and the Lower-Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture. The Outreach Program is supported by the Sparda-Bank Hannover Foundation, VGH Foundation, Sparkasse Hannover, and Foundation Edelhof Ricklingen.
