The Century of Modern Sculpture at the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum

Written by Sylvia Ortega Tuesday, 04 January 2011 20:03

Duisburg, Germany - Visitors to the Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum – Center for International Sculpture tend to ask us the same questions again and again: What is the difference between sculpture cut from a block and sculpture molded to form, what is object art, what is environment and room installation? 

What materials are used in modern sculpture and how do sculpture and photography, sculpture and new media respond to each other?  What happened to the three-dimensionality of sculpture in the modern age, when and how did the transition take place from closed solidity to transparent opening, how does sculpture respond to the surrounding space?  When and how did sculpture leave its pedestal and conquer the floor, the wall and the ceiling?  How has the relationship between observer, sculpture and room changed?  What are the dominant themes of modern sculpture?  Who are the great “minds” of modern sculpture?

The exhibition “What is sculpture? 100 Years – 100 Heads.  The century of modern sculpture” seeks to provide answers to these and many other questions – with a completely new presentation of the collections.  On exhibition until 28 January, 2007.

In December 1905 twelve Duisburg citizens called for donations for a public institution of contemporary art in Duisburg.  This was the birth of today’s Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum – Center for International Sculpture.  However, as no donations were forthcoming, the Duisburg Museum Association assumed the task of purchasing contemporary art.  This was in 1906. Art books on the history of modern sculpture tell us that the year 1905 also marked the birth of modern sculpture.  As such, the inception of the Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum and modern sculpture fall in the same year.  However, since it is not until 1906 that the Museum became publicly active, the Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum celebrates its jubilee for over a year from September 2005 until January 2007.

From September 2005 until July 2006 the entire collection was shown under the topic “The Image of Man in the Modern Age” starting with the oeuvre of Wilhelm Lehmbruck and the special exhibition “Lehmbruck, Rodin and Maillol”.  The second jubilee exhibition from September 10, 2006 through until January 28, 2007 explores “The century of modern sculpture” in a manner not to be experienced in any other museum in Europe.  During this period, Duisburg shows its collection as the secret national gallery of modern sculpture, and Duisburg presents itself as the city of modern sculpture.

As photographs at the beginning of the exhibition document, three historical presentations of the collection lead up to the jubilee exhibitions.  In 1964, at the opening of the first two sections of the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, when the collection comprised just over 1,200 works, the oeuvre of Wilhelm Lehmbruck in the Lehmbruck Tract was complemented by the collection of international sculpture and German painting of the 20th century in the Große Halle or large hall.  However, until 1987 it was only possible to show small sections from the collection of international sculpture, because there were no rooms specifically for temporary exhibitions. When the third section opened in 1987 it was possible for the first time to realize an expanded presentation of the collection “From Lehmbruck to Beuys”(there were now 2,880 works).  The third presentation of the collection, which basically lasted until 2005 was made in 1991 following the completion of modernization work to the old building.  It described a chronological curve “Lehmbruck until today” and included rooms on specific topics but also rooms devoted to individual artists.

The current jubilee exhibition has received additional emphases through a series of important new acquisitions: these include works by Georges Vantongerloo, Bernard Schultze, Max Bill, Dani Karavan, Reiner Ruthenbeck, Jean Tinguely, Abraham David Christian, Albert Hien and Gil Shachar.

We were able to strengthen several sculptural position through the addition of entire work groups as donations: photographs by Constantin Brancusi of the “White and Blonde Negress” from the Centre Pompidou in Paris (never previously exhibited), and the airport projects by Georges Vantongerloo, not to mention sculptures by Max Bill from the Stiftung Haus Bill in Zumikon/Switzerland.

Two special exhibitions within the jubilee exhibition set additional accents: The Life’s Work of Wilhelm Lehmbruck with 115 exhibits (55 sculptures, 15 paintings, 40 drawings and 5 silkscreen prints) will particularly address color in the artist’s work. From September 30, 2006 until January 14, 2007 the Children’s Museum is showing the exhibition Jean Tinguely – Everything moves, nothing stands still.

Today, the entire collection of the Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum contains 6,500 works.  For the jubilee exhibition a selection of 663 works by 264 artists from 26 nations in Europe, East Asia and America was made from this store.  These figures refer to the exhibition in the Museum building, the sculpture yard and in the Kant Park as well as around the city of Duisburg and in its public buildings.  Apart from the 115 works by Wilhelm Lehmbruck the selection shows the work of German and international artists, specifically 244 sculptures, 16 paintings, 107 drawings, 23 silkscreen prints, 146 photographs and 6 sculptor films – in all, 548 works.  A glance at the participating nations reveals that Germany is represented with 103 artists, the other European nations are showing 95 artists, while non-European countries have 30 participating artists.  In other words: the century of modern sculpture is presented as the century of the western society, and specifically at the intersection of prevailing internationality.

Visitors are free to choose the order in which they tour all the Museum and collection rooms.  The centrepiece is formed by the interactive works from Tinguely to Knowbotic Research on the ground floor of the Große Halle.  Grouped around the latter and occupying large areas are the Life’s Work of Wilhelm Lehmbruck (Lehmbruck Tract), animal and human sculpture of the classic modern age (basement of the Große Halle), object art since Dada and its repercussions (upper gallery of the Große Halle), constructive to minimalist sculpture (foyer and temporary exhibition in the annex) and the connections of sculpture to line and color, architecture and nature, sound and action, light, photography and new media (annex).

The sculptures in the Kant Park form an extension of the museum space for large sculptures and are arranged according to materials, style and their site-specific nature.  The sculptures in the urban environment and in public buildings document Duisburg as the city of modern sculpture and can for the most part be reached on foot.

Visit The Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum at : www.lehmbruckmuseum.de