This year’s Museum Night Koblenz will take place at the Ludwig Museum as part of the exhibition ERWIN WURM – LIFE BEAT SOFT MELT.
The Austrian artist Erwin Wurm (*1954) is a master of ironically depicting attitudes to life. The title of his exhibition already indicates that the artist considers the inclusion of life with its comic and tragic facets, but also its energy, gentleness, and the universal fusion and entanglement of all elements of life to be important components and themes in his works. Thus, “Life Beat Soft Melt” can be interpreted as a kind of manifesto, as it encompasses all the sculptural concepts that Erwin Wurm explores.
As an artist, Erwin Wurm is distinguished by a particularly fine sense of irony. This is also evident in his groundbreaking series of One Minute Sculptures, which made Erwin Wurm internationally known since the mid-1990s and illustrated his critique of society and the art world with ironic refraction. According to Wurm, it’s not about perceiving objects as such, but rather about clarifying their symbolic power when they appear in a different setting, for example, on a socle or pedestal, or in unusual constellations in an exhibition.
For the first time, Erwin Wurm is creating an entire room with murals, his Flat Sculptures, thus continuing his exploration of painting. The exhibition is complemented by drawings and watercolors, paintings, numerous One Minute Sculptures, and videos.
The exhibition, curated by Prof. Dr. Beate Reifenscheid (Director of the Ludwig Museum, Koblenz) and Jérôme Sans (Artistic Director, Paris), is supported by the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation and the Association of Friends of the Middle Rhine Museum and the Ludwig Museum.
7 pm to 10 pm – Workshops for children and young people
„FAT BOX“ – Letters, shapes, and names à la Erwin Wurm. Workshops for children and young people. In this workshop, visitors of all ages can draw, paint, and glue in a way as voluminous and balloon-like as in Erwin Wurm’s works. Participants can create their own shapes and, with a few tricks, give them exciting expression.
7 pm to 10 pm – Workshops for all
“ONE MINUTE SCULPTURES” – visitors become part of their own artwork in photographs, forming a unity with furniture, their own clothing, or other objects in Erwin Wurm’s exhibition.
8:00 pm to 8:30 pm – Dance fun for everyone
DANCE IMPROVISATION THEATRE KOBLENZ. Dance improvisations under the direction of Steffen Fuchs, ballet director and choreographer at the Theater Koblenz, are among the most popular events in the public space of the city of Koblenz. Experience beautiful, personal, and unique moments with the dancers in Erwin Wurm’s exhibition, which, with its large-scale installation and internationally renowned “One-Minute Sculptures,” is particularly well-suited for surprises and improvisations. Rather, the dancers are spontaneously inspired by the architecture and energy of the place, thus connecting with it.
9:00 PM to 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM to 11:30 PM – For all
8:00 PM to 12:00 AM – For all
SUB:MERGE. LOCAL SUBCULTURE. On the third floor, the museum presents the subcultural exhibition “Sub:Merge – Local Subculture.” In a living-room-like atmosphere, 14 local artists present a diverse selection of works. From photography and painting to handicrafts and light art, the exhibition invites you to linger and relax. Musical accompaniment will be provided during the museum night.
10:00 PM to 10:45 PM – For all
“SCULPTURE OR PAINTING?” Reflections on Erwin Wurm’s work with Prof. Dr. Beate Reifenscheid.
DRINKS, WINE AND SNACKS ARE OFFERED DURING THE NIGHT.