To celebrate the 650th anniversary of the city of Krefeld, the Kunstmuseen Krefeld are staging a comprehensive exhibition of contemporary art and design under the theme of Productive Spaces. Around 90 works by more than 50 artists and designers of different generations who either live in Krefeld or have received valuable inspiration from the city are on display in Haus Lange and Haus Esters and their gardens. With paintings, sculptures, objects, photography, video installations and performances, as well as items from the worlds of product, communication and social design, the presentation offers a concentrated snapshot of the city’s broad creative output.
The works have been selected and arranged according to a concept that understands space as a factor of production. The exhibition examines how art and design approach space from a variety of perspectives – whether social, political, communicative, economic or virtual, physical or conceptual. At the same time, it takes into account the unique architectural character of Haus Lange and Haus Esters: their fluid spatial concept not only dissolves the boundaries between inside and outside, stasis and movement, but also represents the modern and more liberal image of society that emerged in the 1920s. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s outstanding architectural ensemble thus becomes a platform for the city’s creative scene.
“Preparing this exhibition was a great pleasure for all of us,” explains Katia Baudin, director of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld. “The mere fact that we received well over 100 applications demonstrates the diversity of the work taking place in the ateliers, studios, and workshops of this city, as well as the design department of the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. Through intensive discussions with the team and a fruitful dialogue with numerous artists and designers, we have developed a unique exhibition that reveals the quality and pertinence of the local creative scene.”
