Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage 18 October 2018 – 22 April 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
About the Exhibition
In the Koloman Moser-Anniversary year, the Theatermuseum honors the previously little known stage creations of this universal artist, a true ”jack of all trades“. In addition to the overall show in the MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Moser’s entire theatre works - ranging from the intimate cabaret stage to the grand opera set - will be exhibited, like for instance his stage decoration and costume designs for Julius Bittner‘s opera Der Bergsee which have been recently acquired by the museum. After a longer absence, also Gustav Klimt‘s famous painting Nuda Veritas, which once embellished the study of Hermann Bahr - playwright and friend of Moser - will be on display again as part of the show.
Following Koloman Moser‘s (30 March 1868 – 18 October 1918) artistic development – from graphic design, arts and craft, interior and exhibition design to painting – the exhibition illustrates the different phases and characteristics of his carreer. At times they are directly connected with his experiences and practical skills from other artistic areas.
In 1900 graphic designs on Viennese popular theatre (e.g. the illustration of calendar sheets of Ferdinand Raimund‘s The Spendthrift for the Ver Sacrum Magazine) and Modern Dance (about female pioneer dancers like Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan) can be taken as a starting point, however they are not yet executed for any theatre production. With the beginning of the stage-reformation movement, Moser gets his first chance to ”apply“ his art on stage. The stylized theatre (Stilbühne) which he develops for Felix Salten‘s Jung-Wiener Theater ”Zum lieben Augustin“ in 1901 is an initial highlight of his occupation with scenography.
Around 1907 Koloman Moser designs a first complete stage set for Hebbel‘s tragedy Genoveva on the occasion of a planned but eventually not implemented production by Hermann Bahr at Max Reinhardt’s Deutsches Theater in Berlin. Since the founding of the Secession at the latest, Moser has established close ties with this tireless propagandist of Viennese Modernism and stays friends with him till his death. A fact proven also by the stage design drafts for three of Bahr‘s plays which are published together with the texts between 1912 and 1915. His decorative concepts for these dramas‘ spaces illustrate repeatedly the reminiscences of his occupation with applied arts as well as interior design.
From 1910 onwards Koloman Moser increasingly dedicates himself to the music theatre and creates stage designs for the operas Der Musikant and Der Bergsee by Viennese composer Julius Bittner. His elaborated reflections on Der Bergsee are released in word and image as portfolio shortly after the opera’s premiere at the Vienna Hof-Oper in 1911.
The decoration for Ludvig Holberg‘s Jeppe vom Berge, staged at the Wiener Residenzbühne in 1915, is Koloman Moser‘s last work realized for the theatre. Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage 18 October 2018 – 22 April 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
About the Exhibition – continued
Not to underestimate is the significance of the high number of other theatre projects he produces during his carreer, even though they are never executed: the designs are presented at the 1908 Vienna Kunstschau and also at the Moderne Szenenkunst exhibitions in Mannheim (1913) and Zurich (1914). Furthermore, his œuvre for the stage is regularly published in contemporary arts magazines.
The exhibition presents drafts and documents largely taken from the comprehensive collections of the Theatermuseum, complemented by loans from a number of distinguished Austrian institutions and private collectors.
The show is accompanied by a sumptuously designed publication. Guided tours, a concert and an educational programme for schools complete this project.
As part of the cooperation with the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, visitors of the exhibition at the Theatermuseum are granted a reduced admission fee to the MAK-show Koloman Moser. Universal Artist between Gustav Klimt and Josef Hoffmann (19 December 2018 – 22 April 2019), www.mak.at/kolomanmoser
Daniela Franke, theatre scientist, since 2009 curator and head of the collection theatre graphics, posters and programme archive at the Theatermuseum, Vienna. Exhibitions and publications on baroque theatre culture, european theatre history and japonism on stage. Publications (amongst others): Spettacolo Barocco! Theatre‘s Triumph (associate editor with Andrea Sommer-Mathis and Rudi Risatti, 2016); Cherry Blossom Rhapsody. Japanese Theatre and Its Influence On European Stages (Ed., 2013)
Kurt Ifkovits, Literary scientist, since 2006 curator of the autographs collection at the Theatermuseum, Vienna. Exhibitions and publications on Hermann Bahr, Gustav Klimt, Richard Teschner, Paula Wessely as well as numerous works on the topic of German-Czech cultural connections. Publications (amongst others): Hermann Bahr – Jaroslav Kvapil. Letters, Texts, Documents (ed., 2007); With My Own Two Hands… The Stages of Richard Teschner (ed., 2013); The Viennese Weekly Die Zeit (1894–1904) and the Central European Modernism (associated ed. with Lucie Merhautová, 2013); Hermann Bahr: Diaries From the “Neues Wiener Journal” (1927–1931) (ed., 2015); Hermann Bahr – Arthur Schnitzler. Correspondences, Notes, Documents 1891–1931 (associated ed. with Martin Anton Müller, 2018)
Gerhard Veigel is exhibition designer. For the Theatermuseum he already designed the shows Heinrich von Kleist, 1777–1811 (2011); Against Klimt. “Nuda Veritas“ and Her Defender Hermann Bahr (2012); With My Own Two Hands… The Stages of Richard Teschner (2013); The History of Europe – Told by its Theatres (2015) Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage 18 October 2018 – 22 April 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
Events
MITTAGSPAUSE / LUNCH BREAK Guided tour (30 minutes) Visit the exhibition on Koloman Moser‘s theatre work during your lunch break. Refresh yourself in the Bergsee (mountain lake) or enjoy the view of the Rax in the middle of Vienna and have the Nuda Veritas on your mind when returning to your work place. Wed, 12.30 PM, 24 October, 28 November, 19 December 2018; 23 January, 20 February, 20 March 2019 Admission fee, no tour fee
GUIDED TOURS WITH THE CURATORS Every first Monday of the month (November 2018 - April 2019), 4 PM Guided tour fee € 3, reservation recommended! T +43 1 525 24 5310
JACK OF ALL TRADES AND POETIC COMPOSER Koloman Moser created stage designs for Julius Bittner‘s operas. The evening focuses on his compositional versatility: the rarely performed second string quartet is contrasted with works of composers from his musical environment: Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek and Erwin Schulhoff. Introductory words from Christian Glanz (MDW, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) With the Haydn-Quartett (Fritz Kircher, Martin Kocsis, Gerswind Olthoff and Nikolai New) Fri, 30 November 2018, 7.30 PM Adults € 22, Students € 12 Reservations under T +43 1 52524 3460
APPLY APPLICATIONS Guided tour and workshop for schools, 8th-13th grade, 1,5 hours, dates upon request The exhibition offers numerous inspirations to become creativ and to design stage sets à la Moser: alter the drafts for Genoveva with squares, check out the the play of light and colour in the Bergsee with co- loured films, produce stage decorations with coloured crayons or transform your room into a stage set.
EXHIBITION TOURS ON DEMAND T +43 1 525 24 5310 or [email protected]. For our educational programs please refer to www.theatermuseum.at/kulturvermittlung Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage 18 October 2018 – 22 April 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
Press photos
Photos are free of charge in relation to the press coverage of the exhibition. They are available for download under www.theatermuseum.at/presse/
1_Detail of the Exhibition poster 2_Er und Sie (Comedy by Georges Courteline) 3_Koloman Moser in the office of Applications. Koloman Moser and the Stage Stage design for the Jung-Wiener Theater Wiener Werkstätten, 1904 Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband „Zum lieben Augustin“ by Felix Salten, Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband around 1901 not realized Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband
4_Genoveva (Tragedy by Friedrich Hebbel) 5_Der Bergsee (Opera by Julius Bittner) 6_Das Phantom (Comedy by Hermann Bahr) Stage design for a planned production of Stage design for the premiere at Stage design, around 1913 Hermann Bahr at Max Reinhardt‘s k. u k. Hof-Operntheater in Vienna, 1911 not realized Deutsches Theater in Berlin, around 1907 Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband not realized Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage 18 October 2018 – 22 April 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
Press photos
Photos are free of charge in relation to the press coverage of the exhibition. They are available for download under www.theatermuseum.at/presse/
7_Abstract stage design for an undefined 8_Abstract stage design for an undefined 9_Figurine of one of the Rhine daughters dramatic work, around 1913-1915 dramatic work, around 1913-1915 Das Rheingold (opera by Richard Wagner) Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband Sketch for an unidentified project, around 1913 not realized Theatermuseum © KHM-Museumsverband
Exhibition Publication
Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage Edited by Daniela Franke and Kurt Ifkovits, KHM-Museumsverband in-house publishing 2018, Vienna. Following his œuvre for a large variety of stages the sumptuously designed publication portrays for the first time the artistic development of the versatile Koloman Moser from graphic designer to artisan and eventually to painter. The catalogue (in German) is available at the museum shop and online: https://shop.khm.at/shop. Price: € 24,95 incl. VAT, ISBN-No: 978-3-99020-177-0
Applications Koloman Moser and the Stage October 18, 2018 - April 22, 2019
Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Wien [email protected] T +43 1 525 24 5315
Exhibition Team General Management: Thomas Trabitsch Curating and Concept: Daniela Franke, Kurt Ifkovits Design: Gerhard Veigel Graphic Design: Sebastian Menschhorn Picture Editing: Michael Aumüller Video Production: Barbara Schwertführer Exhibition Production and Set up: museom service gmbh Exhibition Lighting: Gustavo Allidi Bernasconi Exhibition Management: Gertrud Fischer Press and Public Relations: Andreas Kugler Loans and Insurances: Tanja Stigler Editing: Annette Van der Vyver Educational Programmes and Workshops: Karin Mörtl, Katharina Scholz-Manker Restorative Support: Kurt List, Nadja Pohn Facility Management: Andreas Riedel
Cooperation Partner MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art, Vienna With a Theatermuseum ticket visitors are granted a reduced admission fee to the MAK-exhibition Koloman Moser. Universal Artist between Gustav Klimt and Josef Hoffmann (19 December 2018 – 22 April 2019), www.mak.at/kolomanmoser
Contact Andreas Kugler Deputy Director, Marketing and Press Officer T + 43 1 525 24 5315 [email protected]