»Bequest«
14 September 2009 – 30 August 2010
3rd Annual Exhibition

The third annual exhibition at Kolumba, the art museum of the Archbishopric of Cologne, deals with what gets left behind: with the things we make and use, that shelter and clothe us, things we play and work with. Departing from the museum’s historical location and its archeological finds, the exhibition documents the traces of human existence that have been recorded in documents, everyday objects, but also in works of art. At the same time the exhibition makes a theme of the value of remembrance and our responsibility in dealing with our historical legacy. In doing so it unfolds the broad spectrum of Kolumba’s own collection, now for the third time. The exhibition title refers to a video work by Munich artist Kurt Benning: »Hinterlassenschaft – Ein deutsches Erbe« (Bequest—A German Legacy). This work deals with describing all the objects found in an apartment shortly before it was to be cleared out. This listing of things fraught with associations and memories is the departure point for the selection of the works on display ranging from Late Antiquity up to the very present and comprising all artistic media (Further works by Kurt Benning, Joseph Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Gerd Bonfert, Thomas Böing, Heinz Breloh, Felix Droese, Olaf Eggers, Herbert Falken, Jürgen Klauke, Jannis Kounellis, Heinrich Küpper, Bärbel Messmann, Duane Michals, Walter Ophey, Jürgen Paatz, Thomas Rentmeister, Paul Thek, Andor Weininger, Stefan Wewerka, Dorothee von Windheim). Two comprehensive catalogues of works will be published in the Kolumba Series.

Works on display: Roman Wall Fragment and gravestone with Cross form a Merovingan grave as archaeological finds, keystones with arms of patrons of the late gothic parish church St. Kolumba, Coptic Tunic, liturgical vestments form the 13th, 15.th and 17.th century, St. Nicholas, central panel of the Palant Altarpiece, three vestments of Josef Cardinal Frings(died 1979), Crucifix from Erp, church treasury of St. Kolumba, Madonna with Child from the Altar of St. Mary in St. Kolumba, Joseph leaves Mary fragment of a large carved altarpiece, Ecco Homo oak relief from Cologne Cathedral, Crucifix 12th century, Cross of Herimann and Ida, Dattenfeld Virgin Mary, 189 wedding photographs, two copes, portable utensil case for the Celebration of Mass belonging to an American army chaplain, house altar of Konrad Zaunhack (end of the 15th century), late gothic dish with the Head of John the Baptist and relief with Christ on the Road to Golgatah (Both new acquisitions were purchased with funds from the Renate König-Foundation.) Works and groups of works shown are by Kurt Benning, Joseph Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Gerd Bonfert, Thomas Böing, Heinz Breloh, Felix Droese, Olaf Eggers, Herbert Falken, Hans Josephsohn, Jürgen Klauke, Jannis Kounellis, Heinrich Küpper, Bärbel Messmann, Duane Michals, Walter Ophey (new private donation), Jürgen Paatz, Thomas Rentmeister, Richard Serra, Paul Thek, Andor Weininger (donation of Eva Weininger), Stefan Wewerka and Dorothee von Windheim. With a few exceptions, all works being exhibited belong to the Kolumba collection. We thank the Römisches-Germanisches Museum, Cologne, the Historical Archives of the Cologne Archdiocese and Dr. Adelheid Hausen for several important loans.

Art museum of the
Archdiocese of Cologne