Exhibition program 2017

The year 2017 starts with the concentrated solo exhibition Magritte: The Treachery of Images (February 10–June 5, 2017), which explores the relationship of the great Belgian Surrealist René Magritte with the philosophical movements of his time. Driven by his curiosity and his affinities with some of the leading philosophers of his age, such as Michel Foucault, he created a remarkable body of work and developed an altered view of the world that is reflected in a unique combination of accurate, masterful painting and conceptual processes.

In early spring the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is mounting the first extensive German retrospective devoted to the painter Richard Gerstl (February 24–May 14, 2017). The “first Austrian Expressionist” died at the young age of 25. During his brief lifetime, the artist created an exciting and unusual, though relatively limited oeuvre consisting of some 80 artworks—the exhibition at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt comprises nearly all of his known works.

The American painter Peter Saul deliberately broke the rules of good taste long before “Bad Painting” became a central focus of contemporary art. Working with his own unique language beginning in the late 1950s, the painter developed a blend of Pop Art, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, San Francisco Funk, and cartoon culture in which he addressed social and political issues. In the summer the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is presenting the first comprehensive survey of the previously neglected oeuvre of Peter Saul (June 2–September 3, 2017) in Europe.

Also in summer, the discursive group exhibition Peace (June 30–September 24, 2017) addresses the question of how peace actually works. A large number of works by international artists, among them Pia Camil, Jan de Cock, Minerva Cuevas, Ed Fornieles, Surasi Kusolwong, Isabel Lewis, Lee Mingwei, Katja Novitskova, Agnieszka Polska, and Timur Si-Qin, offer a new, contemporary perspective on the subject of peace. The exhibition will be accompanied by numerous live events, including poetry readings, concerts, lectures, and cooking sessions in which visitors are invited to take part.

In the fall the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt examines the cultural history of vision in the major exhibition Diorama: Inventing Illusion (October 6, 2017–January 21, 2018). It focuses on the diorama, which is used to reconstruct and realistically stage events, stories, and settings with the aid of various artistic devices. It has served as an essential source of inspiration from the modern period to the present. The exhibition at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt will feature an impressive selection of dioramas and other artworks by, for example, Sam Durant, Isa Genzken, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Jeff Wall.

With the major thematic exhibition Splendor and Misery in the Weimar Republic: From Otto Dix to Jeanne Mammen (October 27, 2017–February 25, 2018) the Schirn takes a look at German art from 1918 to 1933. Numerous artists created memorable records of the stories of their contemporaries in their own unique styles. Realistic, ironic, and grotesque works illustrate the struggle for democracy and paint a picture of a society in the midst of crisis and transition. The exhibition features some 200 artworks by both famous and previously little-known artists.

Furthermore, German artist Lena Henke will develop a new work responding to the specific conditions of the freely accessible public Rotunda of the Schirn, which will be on view from April 28 to July 30, 2017.

In 2017 the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt will continue its monthly video series Double Feature, which has been a forum for German and international filmmakers and video artists for more than four years. Artists present a work from their oeuvre and a film of their choice to the audience at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt. More than 50 artists has already been included in the Double Feature series, for example, Ed Atkins, Melanie Gilligan, Heather Phillipson, Anri Sala, and Timur Si-Qin. Screenings by Eli Cortiñas, Mélanie Matranga, and other artists are planned for 2017. Extensive interviews with the artists can be read online on the Schirn’s YouTube channel.

You will find the complete 2017 exhibition program on the website of the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt.

Director: Dr. Philipp Demandt
Press contact: Pamela Rohde (Head of Press/Public Relations):
presse [​at​] schirn.de / T (+49 69) 29 98 82 148
Press material: www.schirn.de (texts, images, and films for download under PRESS)