Kolumba
Kolumbastraße 4
D-50667 Köln
tel +49 (0)221 9331930
fax +49 (0)221 93319333


15 September 2016 to 14 August 2017
»Me in a no-time state«
On the Individual

Every modern notion of art takes for granted that each individual's creative achievement is unique. As early as the Middle Ages, the artifex was regarded as an eminent artist personality, whose knowledge and capabilities enabled him to be innovative. Thus, what could be more obvious than to reflect upon the notion of the individual via the medium of art? | Our very own collection affords an opportunity for this with the late medieval group of the Four Crowned Martyrs. The spectacular result of a 7-year restoration reveals their preserved original state as brilliant evidence of an individuation rich in details that is closely connected to the portraiture developing from the mid-14th century onwards. The physiognomies, gestures and facial expressions, hairstyles, dress fashions and accessories make statements about their habits, class and social rank, which seem fundamental to us. The question concerning the individual (Latin, meaning "indivisible/ but of one thing") is of utmost relevance today. We are currently experiencing in a shocking manner how the subject's identification with money and power produces ever-increasing social ills, how violence and corruption destroy the cohesion of societies, how basic values – human rights, the rule of law and tolerance – are questioned and restricted. Terrorist violence specifically targets the freedom of the individual and makes the masses receptive to populist strategies, political demagogy and religious fanaticism. | The exhibition title refers to a group of Chris Newman's early works that has been part of our collection since 1996. Instead of relying upon acquired professionalism, he trusts his individually developed skills and declares straightforward subjectivity to be the most objective form of knowledge. Like in a "no-time state", beyond the news of the day, the exhibition probes into the artistically formulated aspects of the individual and reminds us that the humanistic character of the individual as a moral subject is inconceivable without the history of Christianity. For it brought about the decisive change in perspective vis-a-vis Antiquity, when the will of the gods determined the fate of the individual. Accord­ing to Christian understanding, the view of God ultimately takes place through the individual. Hence follows the equality of all humans beyond all constitutional or sociological conditions. With the possibility for atonement and forgiveness as well as the belief in the Resurrection, valid categories for actions came about in the sense of acknowledging one's own personal responsibility. | So what characterizes the individual, what determines his or her actions? Is the outward appearance decisive, for example clothing or jewelry; is it the things, the automobile, the ring tone of the cell phone? What significance do culture and language, native country and housing, actual existential conditions and social contexts bear? May the subject be regarded as an autonomous and unified being at all, or would it be better to speak of an instance that must be construed and revised time and again by each individual? In this respect, how essential is the amount of reason and will, education and faith, experience and memories? What does an attitude imply that advocates the free space of the individual within a solidaric society and, in doing so, opens up prospects for the future development of Europe? | This exhibition, based on our own holdings, has been expanded in the form of a great loan by the High Cathedral Church and, in addition, by two rooms dedicated to artists, where Chris Newman and Martin Assig present their art. We are devoting a separate exhibition to Kurt Benning's "opus magnum", the Burgtreswitzmensch (Treswitzcastleman), created over a period of forty years. Here, in exemplary fashion, and approaching his subject in a circular motion of space and time, he probes into a person's interior and exterior worlds.

Exhibited Artists: Anonymus, Martin Assig, Stephan Baumkötter, Krimhild Becker, Kurt Benning, Anna und Bernhard Blume, Ramón Puig Cuyàs, Beate Eismann, Jeremias Geisselbrunn, Caspar Bernhard Hardy, Bethan Huws, Svenja John, Mirjam Hiller, Franz Ittenbach, Hilde Janich, Hans Josephsohn, Michael Kalmbach, Jannis Kounellis, Konrad Kuyn, Eugène Leroy, Stefan Lochner, Carla Messmann, Chris Newman, Heinrich Parler, Francesco Pavan, Sano di Pietro, Gerd Rothmann, Norbert Schwontkowski, Michael von Savoyen, Richard Serra, Stefan Wewerka, Josef Wolf, Annamaria Zanella
Bildhauer.jpg


_
Art museum of the
Archdiocese of Cologne

Current events
Architecture
Exhibitions
Gallery
Videos
Audio Tracks
Information
Chapel
Museums-History
Publications
Essays
Events
Education

2023 Word Script Sign

2022 As beautiful as a Buren
2022 Place and Self

2022 Terry Fox
2021 Into the Expanse
2021 Photoszene: Hannah Villiger
2020 Art and Choreography

2020 Raimund Girke
2020 The Oil Dwarf
2020 New Beginnings 89
2020 Robert Klümpen
2020 Heiner Binding
2019 Ulrich Tillmann
2019 New Beginnings

2019
2018 Attila Kovács
2018 Michael Oppitz
2017 ars vivendi – ars moriendi
2017 Pas de deux

2017 Marek Poliks
2017 Eric Hattan
2017 Office for...
2017 Barthel Bruyn
2016 Street Art Project
2016 Kurt Benning
2016 On the Individual

2016 Bethan Huws
2015 Shopmovies
2015 Anna & Bernhard Blume
2015 The Read Thread

2015 Museum for Drawing
2015 Birgit Antoni: Cinema
2014 Vertigo of Reality
2014 playing by heart

2014 Achim Lengerer
2014 Bruno Jakob
2013 show cover hide

2013 Eucharist
2013 Norbert Schwontkowski
2013 Pascal Schwaighofer
2012 Art is Liturgy – Paul Thek

2012 Leiko Ikemura
2012 Volker Saul
2012 Jaromir Novotny
2011 Birgit Antoni
2011 thinking

2011 Philipp Wewerka
2010 Mischa Kuball
2010 Noli me tangere!

2010 Heinrich Küpper
2010 Robert Haiss
2010 Renate Köhler
2010 Georg Baumgarten
2009 Stefan Wewerka
09/09 Bequest

2009 Koho Mori-Newton
2009 Hermann Abrell
2008 Heiner Binding
2008 Man Leaving Earth

2007 Infinite Space Expands

2006 In the Garden of Reality II
2006 Werner Schriefers
2006 In the Garden of Reality I
2005 The Egner Donation
2005 Leiko Ikemura
2005 Arma Christi
2005 Hans Josephsohn
2005 Coptic Textiles
2005 Birgit Antoni
2004 Monika Bartholomé
2004 Max Cole
2003 Reliquary Crosses
2004 Heinrich Küpper
2003 Martin Frommelt
2003 150 Years!
2002 Attila Kovács
2002 Herbert Falken
2002 Peter Tollens
2001 ars vivendi
2001 Peter Zumthor
2000 Volume
2000 walkmen
2000 The Härle Donation
2000 Children's drawings
2000 About Reality
1999 Andor Weininger
1999 Joseph Marioni
1999 Andy Warhol
1998 Kunsthalle Baden-Baden
1998 Faith and Knowledge
1998 Stephan Baumkötter
1998 Bernd Ikemann
1998 Kabakov Pane a.o.
1998 Hildegard Domizlaff
1997 Cage Tsangaris a.o.
1997 Richard Serra
1997 Manos Tsangaris
1997 Kunst-Station
1997 Klaus vom Bruch
1997 About the Site: Kolumba
1996 About Ambivalence
1996 Chris Newman
1996 Peter Tollens
1996 Wolfgang Laib
1996 About Colour
1995 Early Christian Art
1995 Mischa Kuball
1995 Palace of Art
1995 Horn Falken Michals, a.o.
1995 Monika Bartholomé
1993 Tápies Thek Tuttle u.a.
1992 Vaticana
 
www.kolumba.de

KOLUMBA :: Exhibitions :: 2016 On the Individual

15 September 2016 to 14 August 2017
»Me in a no-time state«
On the Individual

Every modern notion of art takes for granted that each individual's creative achievement is unique. As early as the Middle Ages, the artifex was regarded as an eminent artist personality, whose knowledge and capabilities enabled him to be innovative. Thus, what could be more obvious than to reflect upon the notion of the individual via the medium of art? | Our very own collection affords an opportunity for this with the late medieval group of the Four Crowned Martyrs. The spectacular result of a 7-year restoration reveals their preserved original state as brilliant evidence of an individuation rich in details that is closely connected to the portraiture developing from the mid-14th century onwards. The physiognomies, gestures and facial expressions, hairstyles, dress fashions and accessories make statements about their habits, class and social rank, which seem fundamental to us. The question concerning the individual (Latin, meaning "indivisible/ but of one thing") is of utmost relevance today. We are currently experiencing in a shocking manner how the subject's identification with money and power produces ever-increasing social ills, how violence and corruption destroy the cohesion of societies, how basic values – human rights, the rule of law and tolerance – are questioned and restricted. Terrorist violence specifically targets the freedom of the individual and makes the masses receptive to populist strategies, political demagogy and religious fanaticism. | The exhibition title refers to a group of Chris Newman's early works that has been part of our collection since 1996. Instead of relying upon acquired professionalism, he trusts his individually developed skills and declares straightforward subjectivity to be the most objective form of knowledge. Like in a "no-time state", beyond the news of the day, the exhibition probes into the artistically formulated aspects of the individual and reminds us that the humanistic character of the individual as a moral subject is inconceivable without the history of Christianity. For it brought about the decisive change in perspective vis-a-vis Antiquity, when the will of the gods determined the fate of the individual. Accord­ing to Christian understanding, the view of God ultimately takes place through the individual. Hence follows the equality of all humans beyond all constitutional or sociological conditions. With the possibility for atonement and forgiveness as well as the belief in the Resurrection, valid categories for actions came about in the sense of acknowledging one's own personal responsibility. | So what characterizes the individual, what determines his or her actions? Is the outward appearance decisive, for example clothing or jewelry; is it the things, the automobile, the ring tone of the cell phone? What significance do culture and language, native country and housing, actual existential conditions and social contexts bear? May the subject be regarded as an autonomous and unified being at all, or would it be better to speak of an instance that must be construed and revised time and again by each individual? In this respect, how essential is the amount of reason and will, education and faith, experience and memories? What does an attitude imply that advocates the free space of the individual within a solidaric society and, in doing so, opens up prospects for the future development of Europe? | This exhibition, based on our own holdings, has been expanded in the form of a great loan by the High Cathedral Church and, in addition, by two rooms dedicated to artists, where Chris Newman and Martin Assig present their art. We are devoting a separate exhibition to Kurt Benning's "opus magnum", the Burgtreswitzmensch (Treswitzcastleman), created over a period of forty years. Here, in exemplary fashion, and approaching his subject in a circular motion of space and time, he probes into a person's interior and exterior worlds.

Exhibited Artists: Anonymus, Martin Assig, Stephan Baumkötter, Krimhild Becker, Kurt Benning, Anna und Bernhard Blume, Ramón Puig Cuyàs, Beate Eismann, Jeremias Geisselbrunn, Caspar Bernhard Hardy, Bethan Huws, Svenja John, Mirjam Hiller, Franz Ittenbach, Hilde Janich, Hans Josephsohn, Michael Kalmbach, Jannis Kounellis, Konrad Kuyn, Eugène Leroy, Stefan Lochner, Carla Messmann, Chris Newman, Heinrich Parler, Francesco Pavan, Sano di Pietro, Gerd Rothmann, Norbert Schwontkowski, Michael von Savoyen, Richard Serra, Stefan Wewerka, Josef Wolf, Annamaria Zanella