www.skd.museum Annual report Annual report 2019 2019 Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Powered by IN THE TRADITION OF THE COLLECTION OF THE HOUSE OF WETTIN A.L. Annual Report 2019 Contents Foreword The present in the past: 4 Marion Ackermann The Kupferstich-Kabinett dedicates 32 a comprehensive retrospective to Christian Borchert Focus Inventing the Future: 34 An exhibition at the Japanisches Palais Residenzschloss: is based on a survey 8 The reopening of the Paraderäume “library of exile”: Edmund de Waal in a Residenzschloss: 36 conversation about his relationship to Dresden 12 The reopening of the Kleiner Ballsaal A change of perspective: Exhibitions at the Outreach: GRASSI Museum Leipzig question our view of 38 13 Committed to the Free State of Saxony others Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister: Rembrandt’s Mark:The Kupferstich-Kabinett 16 The restoration of Vermeer’s 40 presents graphic works for the “Girl Reading a Letter” 350th anniversary of the master’s death Historisches Grünes Gewölbe: Everybody sat for him: 18 Break-in and robbery 42 The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister pays tribute Münzkabinett: to Anton Graff as a portraitist of his time 20 The 500th anniversary exhibition A surrealist curiosity cabinet: 44 The Lipsiusbau presents the artist couple Jan and Eva Švankmajer Exhibitions The Kunstsammlungen have an 46 international presence in New York, Moving towards the Bauhaus: Los Angeles, Coventry and Amsterdam The Kupferstich- Kabinett and the Albertinum 24 illuminate the role of Dresden in the early 48 Special Exhibitions 20th century Caesura 1989: 27 The Albertinum remembers the fall of the Berlin Wall and what followed in its wake A changing institution Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister: Drawing closer “Check it out man, check it out”: 56 28 The Albertinum dedicates a large retrospective to reopening to A.R. Penck From 3D model to the tablet: Digitalization 58 Variable living: The Kunstgewerbemuseum in museum life 30 honours the designer Rudolf Horn Working with the treasure chest: 60 Thomas Geisler and Léontine Meijer-van Mensch in conversation Restitution: The Free State of Saxony returns 64 human remains to Australia Adding to the cake: The Kunstgewerbemuseum The museum and 66 investigates the visibility of women in the discourse on design the public 15 under one roof: Experiments about Education and communication: 67 the future of the museum are carried out at 90 Inclusion and accessibility at the museum the Japanisches Palais Marketing: The Kunstsammlungen Enrichment at many levels: The Kunst­­­­ 92 are an important tourism factor 68 sammlungen need a new storage facility Media and communication: From sensational story to crisis 94 communication Science and research 96 The museum and the public: Highlights International research: 72 The provenance research exchange 98 Visitor numbers programme PREP comes to Dresden Financial report The Whole Life: Archive viewing, 99 74 conference and academy A successful return: 76 “Still Life with Hare” found in Georgia Acknowledgements Antiquities exchanged: The friends association continues to support 77 The Skulpturensammlung and Berlin’s 102 important acquisitions and events Antikensammlung return items to each other The collection of Kurt and Annelore Schulze Together for the truth: 78 104 comes to the Kupferstich-Kabinett as an Cooperation with the TU Dresden indefinite permanent loan Symposia, lecture series and workshops In memory of Joachim Menzhausen 80 105 (1930–2019) 82 Research projects 106 Friends associations 84 Publications 107 Acquisitions and gifts 112 Supporters and sponsors 117 Museums and institutions 118 Addresses and opening hours 120 Publication details Foreword It was in the early morning hours of 25 November 2019 that the disastrous break-in of the Dresden Residenzschloss (Dresden Royal Palace) was perpe- trated and iconic works from the Juwelenzimmer (Jewel Room) within the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) were stolen. Because the investigations were ongoing at the time of this report’s editorial deadline in early April 2020, the situation can only be presented as based on facts that were confirmed to this date. The robbery, which was meticulously planned and carried out with great criminal energy was shocking to the public all around the world. Museum colleagues, especially from Eastern European countries, from India, China, the USA, Great Britain and France rallied to our aid, using, for example, their networks to spread images of the stolen art treasures. The year 2019 is overshadowed by this traumatic experience. For precisely this reason, it is the objective of this report to devote adequate attention to the great commitment, research initiative, creativity and idealism that underpinned the achievements at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) in 2019 – everything from the sensational restoration of a Cupid in Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl Reading a Letter” to the conference “The Whole Life. Archives and Reality” to the international exchange programme for provenance research. The year was off to such a great start: The Bauhaus anniversary year was ushered in with a poetic juxtaposition of early works by Wassily Kandinsky and photographs by Hiroshi Sugimoto at the Kupferstich-Kabinett (Cabinet of Prints, Drawings and Photographs) as well as the expansive exhibition on Kandinsky, Mondrian, Lissitzky and their “visionary spaces” at the Albertinum. These were two exhibitions that gave vivid expression to the extraordinary, Europe-wide reach of the Dresden art scene prior to 1933. Two further anni- 4 versaries were marked during the year: the 300th wedding anniversary of the Crown Prince of Saxony and the Habsburg Emperor‘s daughter, Maria Jose- pha of Austria. The magnificently restored Paradegemächer (Parade Rooms) at the Residenzschloss were reopened in time for the anniversary. This special date was also celebrated – and with it, the entire Saxon Rococo period – at Schloss Hubertusburg (Hubertusburg Palace) in Wermsdorf, which presented a further exhibition on the subject. Another anniversary, the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, was an important reference point for the debate concerning the treatment of art stemming from the time of the GDR. This intensive, public debate that began in 2018 found curatorial expression in exhibitions on the photographer Christian Borchert, on the artistic work of A. R. Penck prior to 1980, and in a retrospective on the designer Rudolf Horn. The question of the freedom of art, addressed by Wolfgang Tillmans, Christian Friedel and Joachim Gauck, permeated the 70th anniversary year of Germany’s constitution. With his “library of exile” at the Japanisches Palais (Japanese Palace), Edmund de Waal created an extraordinary monument to the enduring and emancipatory influence of the literature of authors in exile. Mention must also be given to the international letter of protest in response to the dismissal of Jiří Fajt as Director of the National Gallery in Prague. We invited him to come to Dresden and jointly created a distinctive exhibition on the Czech artist couple Jan and Eva Svankmajer at the Lipsiusbau, which brought to life the concept of absolute freedom in Surrealism, including its political power. Of particular delight to me is that the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden were able to strengthen their commitment to rural communities in 2019: Giambologna’s “Mars” travelled throughout Saxony, the far-reaching project “180 Ideas for Saxony” began, the Sammlung Hoffmann (Hoffmann Collec- tion) had a presence in Torgau and a broad educational programme was offered to schools in the vicinity of the Völkerkundemuseum Herrnhut (Herrnhut Ethnographic Museum). For the first time, the Mobile Museum travelled to smaller communities, allowing many primary school classes to engage with art in a unique way. Something that interested us in particular during a state election year in Saxony were the views of young people con- cerning social questions and the future. On the basis of a survey and with the involvement of a plethora of voices of the younger generation, we realized the exhibition “Inventing the Future”, which included works from all our col- lections and further established the Japanisches Palais as a meeting point for the youth of Dresden. In the course of completing this report, the volatility of our times showed its face: Just two weeks after the reopening of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) on 28 February 2020, museums around the world were forced to close their doors due to the coronavirus. The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are making their contribution in this crisis and are approaching the challenge with new ideas and by engaging in close inter- national exchange. I would like to sincerely thank all employees – especially those working in media and communication – for there tireless work and their strength throughout the crisis as well as all supporters, patrons, politicians and colleagues around the world for your loyalty, devotion and support. Prof. Dr Marion Ackermann Director General of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden 5 Focus Since September 2019, the lavishly restored Paraderäume can be taken in in the heart of the Residenzschloss 1.1 Since 28 September 2019, the numerous halls and exhibition spaces at the Residenzschloss (Dresden Royal Palace) have been enriched by a further attraction: the Paraderäume The heart (Parade Rooms) of Augustus the Strong, in which the Saxon electoral