Berlin-Moscow Exhibition Sparks Critical Debate Over Curatorial Textualization of Painting
The exhibition titled 'Berlin – Moscow/Moscow – Berlin 1950-2000' took place at Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin from September 27, 2003, to May 1, 2004, under the curation of a German-Russian team. Critics raised concerns about the emphasis on painting rather than historical context. Lothar Müller, writing for Süddeutsche Zeitung, referred to it as "placeless," while Sebastian Preuss in Berliner Zeitung (September 27, 2003) characterized it as a "gigantic essay." Karl Schlögel (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, October 21, 2003) accused the curators of neglecting significant historical moments. Hanno Rauterberg in Die Zeit (October 1, 2003) claimed they homogenized various aspects, and Barbara Kerneck in TAZ (September 30, 2003) criticized it as "mere belletristics." The exhibition included 45 thematic "constellations" and featured a two-book catalogue that reviewers found more captivating than the display itself.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Berlin – Moscow/Moscow – Berlin 1950-2000' held at Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin from September 27, 2003, to May 1, 2004.
- Curated by a German-Russian team with an emphasis on painting as the main representative of art.
- Critics included Lothar Müller (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Sebastian Preuss (Berliner Zeitung), Karl Schlögel (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Hanno Rauterberg (Die Zeit), and Barbara Kerneck (TAZ).
- Exhibition organized into 45 thematic "constellations" rather than chronological order.
- Featured works by Barnett Newman, Fjodor Fyodor Bogorodsky, Komar and Melamid, Mark Tansey, Norbert Bisky, Georgi Gurjanovy, Martin Kippenberger, Rebecca Horn, and Olga Chernysheva.
- Catalogue consisted of two separate books: a picture-book and a textbook with detailed discussions.
- Critics accused curators of textualizing pictorial art and avoiding historical context.
- Project compared to its 1995 predecessor, which was an erudite retrospective survey.
Entities
Artists
- Susanne Strätling
- Lothar Müller
- Sebastian Preuss
- Karl Schlögel
- Hanno Rauterberg
- Barbara Kerneck
- Barnett Newman
- Fjodor Fyodor Bogorodsky
- Komar
- Melamid
- Mark Tansey
- Norbert Bisky
- Georgi Gurjanovy
- Martin Kippenberger
- Rebecca Horn
- Olga Chernysheva
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Martin Gropius Bau
- Süddeutsche Zeitung
- Berliner Zeitung
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
- Die Zeit
- TAZ
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Moscow
- Russia