Kolumba Museum, Cologne – Annual exhibition “1919 49 69ff. Departure”

Emotions of departure in the Kolumba Museum in Cologne

Possibly the art museum of the archdiocese of Cologne is not necessarily the very first museum that comes to mind when you are asked about the really “big” museums in Cologne. Because there are so many. And Kolumba is a little “hidden” in the middle of the city. But it certainly belongs to the strong “players”. Because the outstanding collection of art from late antiquity to the present and its unusual architecture convince as a real speciality.

The new annual exhibition, which has opened in autumn, is entitled “1919 49 69ff. Departure”. Kolumba lets artists tell how they react to situations of upheaval in the last hundred years of history. The answers are very different. The museum has chosen three major historical dates. And the house presents itself – as usual – in contrasts. The juxtaposition of old artefacts and works of art, for example from antiquity or the Middle Ages, with contemporary works is the central trick from which Kolumba has developed its typical signature.

1919 – Traumas and visions of longing

The first historical focus in Kolumba stands for the confrontation with the horrors of the First World War. The traumatic experiences flow into paintings such as “Friesische Landschaft” (1919) by Conrad Felixmüller. Or the clay sculpture “Sich im Schmerz Aufbäumendes Pferd” (1917/20) by Franz Wilhelm Seiwert. Everyday depictions, simple forms or religious motifs are represented here, as are political-social manifestos by the artists of the “Young Rhineland”. Together with architecture utopias of the Bauhaus movement, all these works are in dialogue with medieval manuscripts with utopian texts and a selection of sacred objects.

1949 – looking back and forward

The beginning is marked by debris and destruction that can only be repaired with difficulty, if at all. The alabaster sculpture “Mother of God with Child” (around 1650) from the altar of Mary in St. Kolumba was destroyed by bombs in World War II, and much later reassembled from over 70 fragments. The horror of the abyss and the enormous vulnerability of the people is also shown in the work “Ecce homo” (1949) by Altenbourg. In the immediate vicinity are supposedly profane design objects such as vases, a sewing machine, a coffee machine, a ventilator or even seating furniture for the Wandelhalle of the first German Bundestag (1948/49, designed by Hans Schwippert). These exhibits document the spirit of optimism and reorientation towards a democratic, hopeful future.

1969 ff – The departure into uncertainty

The uncertainty of the “corner years” of 1919 and 1949 is now a thing of the past, and thus probably more or less “secured” as a past. The year 1969 marks the departure into a time that we now experience as the present. Probably anything but secure.

On the walls of the Kolumba, we find  Michael Opptitz’ “Mythical Landscapes” (1978 – 1984). The photo series shows shamans on their way in search of the lost souls of their patients. They are on the search, as are the “Holy Three Kings” (1989) by the artist Michael Buthe. Their journey turns into a piece of found wood that looks a bit like a boat, loaded with sometimes strange everyday objects. By the way, this work is placed in such a way that it heads for the painting “Mary of Mercy” from the 18th century.

Marek Poliks’ large installation “Interdictor” (2017 – 2019) invites visitors to an experience with all their senses. If you like, you can think about it in the midst of this huge sound machine. Accompanied by a confusing force of acoustic and optical signals. Thoughts about setting out, being on the road, and perhaps arriving. The annual exhibition at Kolumba is very worthwhile. Have fun!