Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg

For the 75th anniversary of the Wolfsburg city, the Städtische Galerie is offering to the citizens and visitors a new presentation of its art collection under the heading of celebration. This can also be seen metaphorically, considering the contemporary art scene as a big, never-ending party. Under the title “Wundertüte” (surprise bag) rarely displayed works of the collection have finally become accessible to the public. In doing so, a versatile mix of paintings, graphics, installations, video-projections and sculptures are being featured, containing some unexpected mysteries which are to be revealed.

The exhibition is making reference to the art market with all its ups and downs, where on every occasion the formerly overwhelming party atmosphere results in a severe hangover. The ups and downs of highlights and people’s short memories are immediately sensed by the artists and have, of course, and impact on their artistic career.

These different aspects can be understood differently in the various works presented in the art collection. In doing so, the sculpture of Thomas Virnich in the form of an abstract beer crate, made of wood and silk.

A rediscovery of art recipients is Friedrich Schröder-Sonnenstern (1892-1982), an artist who oscillated his whole life between delusion and reality. He is one of the most important representatives of the ‘Outsider Art’ and responsible for the currently growing interest in that art movement.

The aspect to conventionalize artists ceremoniously as well as criticizing oneself is portrayed by Johannes Grützke in his oil painting “Anonymer Triumph” (1969). Being reflected on Adolf Luthers’ “Spiegel-Objekt” (1970), the viewer can perceive oneself in a new way so that sensory perception in general plays a huge part in the “Wundertüte” exhibition. To see and to wonder are not the only perceptive aspects of the collection. Acoustics and kinetics are also represented in the collection, by artists as Christian Megert with his “Lichtkinetisches Objekt” (1969) and Peter Vogel’s cybernetic object, which transforms the movement of the recipient into sound.

translated by: Katharina Manitsas