Frankfurt / Kassel / Fulda / Darmstadt / Gießen (dpa / lhe) – Relocate, extend or flee into the digital world – Hesse’s museums reacted very differently to the Corona restrictions in the Corona year 2020. In addition to their permanent holdings, the institutions have special shows that are limited in time. These were often postponed, but rarely canceled entirely, as a survey by the German press agency shows.
The exhibition “Fantastic Women” in the Frankfurt Kunsthalle Schirn was the highlight. Around 260 works by 34 female artists had for the first time illuminated the female contribution to surrealism, said a spokeswoman. The exhibition opened in mid-February – but had to close four weeks later. The hygiene and safety concept did not continue until the beginning of May, but was then extended to the beginning of July. In addition, opening times have been extended and mediation offers on digital channels have been intensified. Despite restrictions, 100,000 visitors came. “Given the special circumstances, this is an extremely positive result.”
The Städel Museum Frankfurt planned two highlights for 2020: the special exhibition “En passant. Impressionism in Sculpture” in the spring could be extended to the end of October thanks to the willingness of the lenders, said a Städel spokeswoman. “Call me Rembrandt! Breakthrough in Amsterdam” was planned for the winter, a cooperation with the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. It has been postponed and will now be the exhibition highlight in 2021.
The Kunsthalle Gießen planned four exhibitions with international artists as well as a cooperation with the Tanzcompagnie Gießen. They responded to Corona with a modified program. For example, Britain’s Emma Talbot’s solo exhibition will start in January 2021. The drop in visitors is over 50 percent.
The Upper Hessian Museum in Gießen had little luck with the special exhibition “Fire and Flame for this City”. You now hold the record for the longest installation time and the shortest opening time, the museum said. The exhibition in the Old Castle opened on March 13th and the museums were closed on March 16th. Due to renovation work, the restart did not follow until October 27th – the show was closed again from November 1st. Given the wishes of many interested parties, they are considering a second extension.
In Kassel they played it safe: “We have postponed our theme year” Water “and the associated exhibition” Kassel … washed with all waters! “By exactly one year,” said a spokeswoman for the Hessen Kassel Museum Landscape (MHK). Hopefully it will be able to open on May 16th.
In Fulda, the Vonderau Museum had planned three larger exhibitions. “The most important and most expensive of these would have been” Make it new “, an international art exhibition in which works by contemporary artists were to be juxtaposed with manuscripts from the 10th century with the cross poems by Rabanus Maurus,” explained the city. The show was planned from August to November. “It had to be canceled because of Corona.”
The Landesmuseum Darmstadt wanted to celebrate its 200th birthday with five top-class exhibitions, a ceremony and an audience weekend. The start with a show on the installation “Block Beuys” went well. Then came the first lockdown. The show was extended until September. The room installation “Songs for the Air” was postponed to August and could be extended until March 28, said a spokeswoman. In view of the grand plans, one is rather disillusioned in Darmstadt. “In comparison with that, the numbers that we were able to achieve as a result of the corona pandemic are very disappointing,” said a spokeswoman.
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