Archive Gallery: Haus der Kunst, Munich

Haus der Kunst reveals a new permanent gallery dedicated to the presentation of its historical archive containing documents on the building’s architecture and history, alongside a talk with Martin Schmidl and Sabine Brantl on 8 March.

By establishing the permanent Archive Gallery, Haus der Kunst continues the process of introducing new formats for presenting its holdings of historical material and making them available to a wider audience. The new Archive Gallery aims to make the static quality commonly associated with the term “archive” more open and dynamic. By occasionally inviting artists, historians, curators, and researchers, changing presentations of material are planned to reflect on or intervene into the museum’s holdings.

The artist and cultural theorist Martin Schmidl has created an ensemble of furnishings and museum displays, the basis for which is Haus der Kunst’s Historical Archive, overseen by Sabine Brantl since 2004. The historian selected documents from the museum’s holdings that provide information about the building’s origins and uses, as well as about how the structure was dealt with in the post-war period.

The selection’s thematic focus thus introduces the building’s imminent restoration, accompanied by a reflexive exploration of its history. The presentation includes a list of corporate donations for the construction of the “House of German Art”, which opened in 1937; a historical plaque – which hung in the museum’s foyer until 1945 – with a list of the founders; and a hand-coloured floor plan from 1938.

Archive Gallery: Haus der Kunst, from 8 March, Prinzregentenstraße 1, 80538 München, Germany. For more information visit www.hausderkunst.de.

Credits
1. Mittelhalle (ehemalige “Ehrenhalle”) nach ihrer Umgestaltung, 1956. Haus der Kunst, Historisches Archive.