Opening

At the beginning of the 20th century, the art of tattooing began to flourish in the Western world. One of the most prominent protagonists was Christian Warlich (1891-1964), a tattoo artist in Hamburg, who gained international recognition as the "King of Tattoo Artists". The Museum for Hamburg History, that owns the world's largest collection of Warlich’s objects, is now dedicating an exhibition to this icon, designed by Holzer Kobler Architekturen.The exhibition honors Warlich's oeuvre as "everyday"-art. They are pictures for life: present always and everywhere.

On 17 December 2019 Beethoven's birthplace invites as a prelude of the Beethoven anniversary year in 2020 to an open day and presents "The new Beethoven House": The redesigned, experience-driven permanent exhibition, expanded exhibit spaces, a treasury of original manuscripts, a new visitors service center with shop, dressing rooms, café and educational facilities. The official opening will take place on the evening of 16 December.

"Prison" deals with life behind bars – with confinement, detention conditions, exclusion, but also reintegration and the role of the judiciary. A manifold scenography explores the inside and outside of prisons in a colorful and positivistic manner. Historical, philosophical, anthropological and sociological aspects of incarceration reveal the ambiguous reality of detention, they break down stereotypes and raise the possibility of alternatives to authoritarian and antiquated punitive systems. Scenography: Holzer Kobler Architekturen.

The French painter, graphic artist and sculptor Henri Matisse (1869–1954) has had a lasting influence on the art of the 20th century. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Kunsthalle Mannheim presents "Inspiration Matisse", a special exhibition that opens on the 27th of September 2019.

The scenography reflects Matisse’ innovative mastery of color, form, surface, figure and space through a design that is oriented on his ideas of balance, pureness and tranquility.

In Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, where the different activities of the Bauhaus reached their pinnacle, the members of this avant-gardistic school constructed a number of visionary buildings that were restored or partially reconstructed for the anniversary year of the Bauhaus. They are now accessible to visitors. 

Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace is a charismatic venue for classical music enthusiasts from all over the world. The building houses the world’s largest and manifold Beethoven-collection. The redesigned permanent exhibition in the composer’s house of birth is created in a way that makes life and work of this outstanding artistic personality both a sensual and intellectual experience.

The opening of the permanent exhibition is scheduled for the 16th of September 2019.

Scenography: Holzer Kobler Architekturen. Grafic design: 2xGoldstein. Media design: TheGreenEyl.

"Prison" at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva is open to the public from February 6 until August 18, 2019. Produced in partnership with the Musée des Confluences in Lyon and the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Dresden, "Prison" delivers a reflection on incarceration that goes beyond the prison walls and highlights the paradoxes of contemporary society.

"Simply Zurich“ will open to the public on February 2, 2019. The permanent exhibition at the National Museum Zurich deals with yesterday and today of city and canton. Events, developments, personalities and specialities are presented in three both visually and narratively surprisingly-different appointed rooms. In a light manner, the show offers much background information as well as unexpected insights. 

A new permanent exhibition is opened at the former Bank of Germany building in Magdeburg, which is positioned in correspondence with the dome. The exhibition design consciously takes up elements of the dome’s architecture and establishes spatial connections to the graves of Otto and Editha in the dome. The colours of the ottonian frescos and codices has influenced the scenography, a source of inspiration also for the architecture back then, as has come to light as work proceeded.

The first topical exhibition in the new building of Kunsthalle Mannheim sheds light on the economy's impact on the arts by presenting classical modern art from the 1920s and 1930s, focussing on the German Weimar Republic, the Soviet Union and the United States.