PRESENTATION: Are We Still Up To It? Art & Democracy

In the exhibition “Are We Still Up To It?’ – Art & Democracy” more than 50 works by international artists are on display that focus on fundamental democratic values such as freedom, equality, self-determination and human dignity. Masterpieces from the Sammlung Moderne Kunst, ranging from classical modernism to the present day, are complemented by installations.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Pinakothek der Moderne Munich

The title of the exhibition, “Are We Still Up To It? – Art & Democracy”,  comes from the TechRap band Deichkind. Using verbal imagery, their song of the same title focuses on the accelerated pace of our society. It is a communal, unifying ·we· that deals with one of the most pressing questions in society: our relationship to democracy. How motivated are we still to carry on defending it? How exhausted are we as a democratic society? In the light of constant threats and the undermining of democracies through populism and extremism, as well as through terror and war, a consensus exists that we must do something for democracy. The once hard-fought values that enable a self­ determined, free life under this form of government are often vague and difficult to grasp or are all too often simply taken for granted. In the light of this, 50 major works from the Sammlung Moderne Kunst, supplemented by several loans, are being presented in ten thematic sections that enable us to draw closer to the values of democracy. As such, the exhibition references the Constitutional Convention which took place on Herrenchiemsee in August 1948 and laid the foundations for the German constitution. The permanent exhibition ‘Paving the Way for Freedom and Democracy’. The exhibition begins and ends with Joseph Beuys, one of the most outstanding and colourful figures in post-war German art. His “Rose for Direct Democracy” [1973] stands for the direct participation of each individual in politics. Beuys· influence on international artists such as Andy Warhol and John Baldessari, as well as those from the circle of the Dusseldorf Academy such as Sigmar Polke and Inge Mahn, is also addressed in the exhibition. Mahn’s “Balancing Towers” [1989]. a new acquisition from 2024, are only held together by a rope – if the balance is shifted, both parts will fall. They symbolise the last section of the exhibition – ‘BALANCING ACT’: individual freedom ends as soon as the freedom of others is restricted. Democracy can only succeed through participation and involvement and must be lived as a process and supported by solidarity. Human dignity, anchored in Article 1 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, is of central importance. The value of the individual goes hand in hand with the fundamental rights of freedom, equality, justice and solidarity. The right to free self-development becomes particularly clear in the creative process; Human dignity, anchored in Article 1 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, is of central importance. The value of the individual goes hand in hand with the fundamental rights of freedom, equality, justice and solidarity. The right to free self-development becomes particularly clear in the creative process; artistic forms of expression often demonstrate this in a playful way and always with conviction. The ‘Kinderforum van de Loo·, an initiative founded in 1970 by the Munich gallery owner and patron of the arts Otto van de Loo, invites visitors to participate creatively themselves in the ‘CREATIVITY AND PLAY’ section. The earliest exhibited works of so-called classical modernism were created during the Weimar Republic – the heyday of a free and diverse artistic activity. The Expressionist works of Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Ernst­ Ludwig Kirchner, for instance, are exemplary in this respect. The twelve-year period of Nazi rule marked an inestimably decisive cut-off point. Symbolic images, created as a reaction to this shock, make up a large proportion of the works in this exhibition and are shown in the section entitled ‘PAIN AND SHOCK’. That the experience of the inhumanity spread during the Nazi era was not limited to Germany, is clearly demonstrated in the works of Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and Ida Applebroog on display in the room ‘WOUNDS AND FRACTURES’. The figurative pictorial imagery of Anselm Kiefer, Jorg lmmendorff and Gerhard Richter, protagonists of German post-war art, reveals the repression in society. Rosemarie Trockel, Inge Mahn and Maria Lassnig set important accents with respect to the feminist perspective and the wider use of different materials. The internationally renowned artist Sheila Hicks, who has worked on all continents during her 70- year career, is designing her own room at Herrenchiemsee Palace that will allow the public to experience the unifying potential of her art. Thomas Schutte’s work occupy the historic staircase. His works can be seen as reactions to contemporary society and in particular to themes such as power structures, alienation and the complexity of human relationships.

Works among others by: Francis Bacon, John Baldessari, Max Beckmann, Joseph Beuys, Lisa Brice, Deichkind, Lucio Fontana, Gunther Forg, Sheila Hicks, K. H. Hodicke, Jorg lmmendorff, Asger Jorn, Anselm Kiefer, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Maria Lassnig, Henri Laurens, Inge Mahn, Henry Moore, A.R. Penck, Pablo Picasso, Judith Reigl, Gerhard Richter, Thomas Schutte, Rosemarie Trockel and Andy Warhol

Photo: Sheila Hicks, Saffron Sentinel, 2017, Dyed fibers, approx. 7 m high, Courtesy of the artist © Sheila Hicks / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025, Exhibited at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 2024, Photo: Katja Illner

Info: Curators: Verena Hein and Oliver Kase, Pinakothek der Moderne Munich, Herrenchiemsee Palace, Altes Schloß, Herrenchiemsee, Germany, Duration: 10/5-12/10/2025, Days & Hours: Tue-Wed & Fri-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-22:00, www.pinakothek-der-moderne.de/