15 September 2017 – 19 August 2019
Pas de Deux
Romano-Germanic Kolumba

10 years of Kolumba – celebrated with a most spectacular drumbeat: a Pas de Deux for two collections. Of course the title is reminiscent of the emotional and artistic crescendo of ballet dance but, as it were, it also strikes another, rather urgent tone: the need to brave the challenges of an increasingly threatening world by keeping the manifold aspects of human existence ever-present. Topics such as Myth and Reality, Time and Space, Treasure and Transcendence, Self-Perception and Collective Action are of vital importance, just as the experience of mortality and serenity on the individual side. The idea of dance is taken up by the playful movement between the Ancient World, the Middle Ages and the Present, often connected by perpetual cultural constants. – It is the general renovation and reorganization of the Cologne Romano-Germanic Museum which brings about this rather exceptional dual exhibition, thus allowing for an surprising encounter between two different (and originally rather diverse) collections. The location of this encounter, however, is far from chosen randomly: resting on the pillars of its archaeological excavation site, which is maintained by both museums, Kolumba most intriguely signifies a prime location of urban culture with a history dating back to Roman Times. Moreover, both collections are prominently bearing witness to religious practice and most refined artistic objects of everyday life. – The Romano-Germanic Museum, leaving its truly innovative concept of the 1970s behind, has set out to take a creative break, reflecting and gathering inspiration by the vis-à-vis presentation of works in and together with Kolumba – after all named »a museum of dialogue« where now, for the first time ever, corresponding and contrasting pieces of art meet for a „dance“, carefully choreographed by the eight curators from both museums. In close cooperation, they have worked, searched and discussed for more than two years, sharing thoughts and associations on the formal, aesthetic and thematic parallels between the selected works of art. With the „Pas de deux“ they now share their impressions with the visitors, inspiring them to make up their own minds about how art and culture may serve to both educate and entertain – if joined forces harmoniously work (or dance!) together.

Works on display from 500.000 BC until 2016. Artists: Anonymus, Jan Adam, Josef Albers, Hubert Berke, Joseph Beuys, Heiner Binding, Anna und Bernhard Blume, Erich Bödeker, Heinz Breloh, Karl Burgeff, Franz Heinrich Commans, Peter Dreher, Felix Droese, Simone ten Hompel, Rebecca Horn, Bethan Huws, Hans Josephsohn, On Kawara, Leonhard Kern, Konrad Klapheck, Jannis Kounellis, Jürgen Kriebel, Dieter Krieg, Otto Künzli, Konrad Kuyn, Young-Jae Lee, Stefan Lochner, Jan Luyken, Joseph Marioni, Andre von Martens, Bärbel Messmann, Duane Michals, Hein Minkenberg, Hartmut Neumann, Balthasar Permoser, Benedicte Peyrat, Annamaria und Marzio Sala, Alexandra Schriefers, Pascal Schweighofer, Norbert Schwontkowski, Werner Schriefers, Franz-Wilhelm Seiwert, Richard Serra, Edward von Steinle, Paul Thek, Elisabeth Treskow, Simon Troger, Hann Trier, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Andor Weininger, Josef Wolf, Toots Zynsky

A free pocketbook guide to the exhibition (Kolumba #1) is issued at the ticket counte (also in an english edition from december on). By the end of the year, a new journal on the excavation site will be published.

Art museum of the
Archdiocese of Cologne