20/20 Vision The Collection Remixed   Since June 2020

The museum has carried out a creative remix of its existing holdings, omitting wellknown works, adding new elements and setting up new combinations to create a profoundly unique aesthetic experience. Bold wall colours, densely hung galleries, unusually presented paintings and sculptures, extensive, room-filling installations and spectacular new works turn a visit to the museum into a treat for the mind and the senses.

The new presentation of the collection explores the enduring significance of historical and contemporary art and its relevance to current issues, demonstrating the continuity of certain motifs through centuries. For the most part, the works have been arranged chronologically and are complemented by galleries that focus on exploring specific themes. These address issues that have long affected humanity, including faith and war, global trade and colonialism, nature and globalization and reflect the unbroken relevance of artworks from across seven centuries. One central point of reference continues to be the history of the Kunstverein (the membership association founded in 1823 and still the responsible body for the Kunsthalle) in the context of the history of the Hanseatic city of Bremen. The new display thus combines a regional perspective and the storied history of the collection with world events.

The new layout of the permanent collection provides an opportunity to explore the prevailing canon of art history: Which works have maintained their place in galleries for decades and which have been relegated to storage? This allows visitors to make surprising discoveries of works in the permanent collection that have been taken out of the depot. Unusual juxtapositions allow familiar works to appear in a new light. Primarily organized along chronological lines, the narrative is frequently enriched by thematic accents in which historical works meet contemporary art. Familiar and unfamiliar artists, along with regional and major international works enter into an exciting artistic discourse.

Post-war art and contemporary works have been given a higher profile. Substantial installations such as those by Ilya Kabakov and Otto Piene as well as works by Martin Honert, Mary Reid Kelley, Patrick Kelley, and Korpys/Löffler are once again on display alongside important permanent loans by Robert Longo, Katharina Sieverding, and Kehinde Wiley.

Visitors can gain insight into the extensive sculpture holdings in the Sculpture Gallery, which presents a panorama of over 400 years of art history. The sculptures have been arranged according to size and not era, artistic approach or materials. From delicate figurines to heavy, larger-than-life works, the human body is highlighted as a major theme in art. A particular focus is the period from around 1900 to the present.

The objective of rehanging the collection is to make the museum a place where all segments of the population can engage in discourse, inspiration, and learning. To make the Kunsthalle Bremen more accessible, the new presentation offers a range of educational material tailored for different target audiences. Wall texts can now be found in each gallery, some with supplemental documentary material, and each object is labelled with additional descriptions. All labels are in German and English. 

“20/20 Vision“ confirms the relevance of the museum’s holdings. They contain a nearly inexhaustible reservoir of works, media, and ideas that provide infinite combinations and ever-new insights.

Current Information

Vincent van Gogh‘s Field with Poppies is part of the exhibition “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers“ at the National Gallery in London. Therefore, the painting will not be on display at the Kunsthalle Bremen until February 2025.

In the course of alterations, the following areas are temporarily closed until probably February 2025: This affects the rooms with works by Nam June Paik, Katharina Sieverding, the Zero artists' group and the Battlefield room. Afterwards, the works by Nam June Paik and Katharina Sieverding will no longer be on display.

A short history of art: the new catalog about the collection
With around 300 coloured illustrations and more than 280 descriptions of works, the catalog gives an insight into the new presentation of the collection. At the same time, “Remix. The collection“ is a short history of art. From the Middle Ages to today.
Edited by Christoph Grunenberg, Dorothee Hansen, Eva Fischer-Hausdorf. With contributions by Hartwig Dingfelder, Christoph Grunenberg, Dorothee Hansen, Eva Fischer-Hausdorf, Manuela Husemann, Mara-Lisa Kinne and Jennifer Smailes. 320 pages with around 300 colour illustrations, Wienand-Verlag, available in German and English.
€ 25,- (German: ISBN 978-3-86832-611-6 | English: ISBN 978-3-86832-613-0)

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