From a distance, it announces itself with a barely audible siren until the heavy railway train thunders loudly through the museum – at least acoustically. Durch-Zug: the title of the exhibition refers to the expansive installation cub.-bird, alex+mix 11 by German artist Manfred Pernice (*1963 in Hildesheim) and is designed as a stopover, as a snapshot of a collection in constant expansion.

Collecting is one of the core tasks of museums. Thanks to numerous donations and generous endowments, the Winterthur collection is of international standing and ranges from the Dutch old masters to international contemporary art. Durch-Zug thematises collecting as a continuation of the historical focal points, especially from the 1970s onwards, and connects these specifically with the present by filling the autonomous forms of late modernism with current content. The form of Pernice’s multi-part work is reminiscent of minimalist structures, worked in pressboard with its yellow lacquered surfaces reminiscent of the design of public spaces in Germany during the years of the economic miracle. As a new acquisition, Pernice’s work reflects the Kunst Museum Winterthur’s collection strategy, which is being consistently developed for the future with a view to the present. The aim is not to acquire individual works, but rather extensive groups of works by contemporary artists that are unique in Switzerland.

The exhibition is a thank you to the numerous patrons, including the Gallery Association and the Cultural Fund of the Canton of Zurich. Above all, it is a tribute to the international artists who have substantially expanded the museum’s acquisitions through generous donations, thereby making a significant contribution to giving the collection at the Kunst Museum Winterthur a distinctive profile.

The new acquisitions are so numerous that a selection has been made for Durch-Zug. The exhibition focuses on sculptural, mostly expansive works and more conceptual approaches, complemented by selected blocks of drawings and video installations. Durch-Zug presents a collection in motion – developed from the past with a future destination.

Artists

Ed Atkins
Walead Beshty
Katinka Bock
Monica Bonvicini
Dora Budor
David Claerbout
Koenraad Dedobbeleer
Thea Djordjadze
Sylvie Fleury
Fabrice Gygi
Bethan Huws
Jonathan Monk
Steven Parrino
Manfred Pernice
Charlie Prodger
Magali Reus
Gerwald Rockenschaub
Karin Sander
Michael E. Smith
Oscar Tuazon

Kuratiert von Konrad Bitterli