medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
here's the latest from J.H. re the progress of the petition --which looks
pretty good.
and some details about what the "Progress" at the Gemäldegalerie will mean,
in real terms.
"...nothing has been said about how much of the spectacular sculpture
collection will also have to be consigned to storage in order to accommodate
the torso of the painting collection."
my thought is that the least the gallery should be willing to do is provide
Lobotomies --Free, Gratis and for Nothing-- to any hapless visitors who happen
to come there expecting to see the Heritage of Old Dead European Guys, but
instead find that the place is full of Modren Stuff.
that seems only fair.
and, viewing Modren Art after having a lobotomy will surely make it almost as
Thrilling an experience as rubbernecking Old Dead White European Guys' stuff.
c
------ Original Message ------
Received: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:42:36 PM EDT
From: "Change.org" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Update about "Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin:
Reconsiderthe plan to empty the Gemäldegalerie of Old Masters"
Hey Christopher,
Dear Art Lovers:
Forgive me for intruding once again, but I write from the midst of the
maelstrom, first, to report that, with your help, we are closing in on 7,500
signatures, and, second, to provide a couple of critical "talking
points" that ought, I think, to be circulated:
i) to claim that the proposed plan will restore Bode's original conception is
false. Never mind that Bode's proposal is now a century old, hence dated and
not necessarily the ideal starting point for a new presentation of the
collections.Unlike Bode's original plan, the new proposal excludes the
decorative arts. In addition, the Byzantine collections and the Pergamon
Museum have eaten into the available space at the Bode Museum. Not least,
nothing has been said about how much of the spectacular sculpture collection
will also have to be consigned to storage in order to accommodate the torso of
the painting collection.
ii) to say that half the Gemaeldegalerie's content will remain on display
isn't quite accurate. It is estimated that half of the painting exhibited
upstairs would be displayed. The entire contents of the "Magazine," which is
itself very rich and which has only been on display since 1998, would again be
consigned to storage.
iii) little, if anything, has been said about where and under what conditions
the collections would be stored, whether they would under any circumstances be
accessible for conservation and scholarship, and, not least, what costs the
provision of such storage itself would entail.
iv) In his press release, Prof. Parzinger has said that the gallery wouldn't
be moved until plans for the new museum are underway. Plans, however,
especially in Berlin, where so many other projects remain stalled and
underfunded, hardly imply a decision, let alone funding, let alone a new
building. To suggest that all this could be accomplished within 6 years seems
to be a pipe dream. In the context of what a new building will cost, the EUR
10,000,000 provided for rebuilding the current gallery is no more than chaff
in the wind.
v) There is no doubt that the museums in Berlin lack funds for acquisitions,
especially of modern art. Even modern art, however, can hardly be acquired
retrospectively. Good curating requires risk taking and prospective purchases
of contemporary art. To say that the Pietzsch collection is worth ca. EUR
120,000,000 seems impressive at first glance -- until one considers that there
are literally dozens of paintings in the collection of Old Masters that are
worth this much alone! Never mind that to conduct the discussion in terms of
monetary values demeans the cultural and historical significance of these
collections.
vi) Until now, there has been no clear statement as to why it wouldn't be more
reasonable simply to place the Pietzch collection in temporary quarters until
a new museum to accommodate the Old Masters, with or without the sculpture
collections currently housed at the Bode Museum, has been built. Why not
devote the EUR 10,000,000 on offer to preparing such a space?
vi) To argue, as some proponents of the proposed move have done, that critics
of the plan necessarily oppose merging the collections is a canard. It need
not be a question of whether, but when, and how.
Please continue to do what you can to circulate the petition. 10,000
signatures is a goal that remains within our grasp.
Many thanks, and best wishes,
Jeffrey Hamburger
-------------------------------------------
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