The Von der Heydt Museum's display depot reveals the diversity and depth of the collection, which would otherwise remain hidden. Around 350 works are displayed in mobile registers and arranged thematically.
Three paintings from the collection have been selected for the exhibition and all originate from the artists of the historic 'front garden exhibition':
Konrad Lueg's Boxing Match from 1964, Sigmar Polke's Digging Between Theory and Practice from 1998, and Gerhard Richter's Sheikh with Woman from 1966. The racks are arranged in such a way as to create special lines of sight and overlaps, forming a montage of pictures in the room. Unlike Polke, Richter and Lueg, Manfred Kuttner is not represented in the display depot — a reference to his early withdrawal from the art scene to pursue a career in advertising. It was not until decades later that his colourful early work was rediscovered as an independent artistic position.
This concentrated presentation not only opens up individual visual worlds, but also illustrates the journey of the three works from the studio to the 'front garden exhibition' and finally to the Von der Heydt Museum. At the same time, it reveals the lasting impact of the historic exhibition.
Johanna Zander
