The Museum Art.Plus in Donaueschingen opened its major new temporary exhibition "Vollgas - Full Speed" on February 17, 2019. The multifaceted show is all about speed, but primarily about the car. No technical object has been and continues to be mythologized in a comparable way, and no everyday object shapes the appearance of the world as much as the automobile. Even if it polarizes more than ever these days, the car is still more than just a means of transport and a necessary evil. It is a status symbol and a statement, but also a shelter and a companion. It is still a symbol of freedom, mobility and adventure, a dream object and a fetish.
Due to its omnipresence and symbolic charge, it is also impossible to imagine the world of contemporary art without the car. Whether critically scrutinized, humorously commented on or documented in a value-free manner, it is taken up in a wide variety of forms. The sculptures, paintings and photographs by German and international artists shown in the exhibition at Museum Art.Plus focus primarily on the theme of speed. At the center is the large-format work Z4UTURNAROUNDROTATION by sculptor Sebastian Kuhn, consisting of components from several BMW Z4 bodies. The multi-faceted sculpture breaks with the traditional view of the automobile, which is always associated with forward motion.
Italian artist Ileana Florescu draws the viewer into illuminated road tunnels with dynamic motion photographs and, with the title Formula, evokes associations with motor racing, which is another focal point of the exhibition. The famous photograph J.R. 5.9.70 by Robert Häusser, which shows the shrouded racing car of racing driver Jochen Rindt, who died in an accident shortly afterwards, can be seen here, as can an oversized chequered flag made of dented hoods by Friedemann Flöther and neon works by Chris Nägele, which show world-famous race tracks. The fascinating carbon works by South African Alastair Gibson reflect his previous career as chief mechanic in various Formula 1 teams.
Other artists focus on the cult of the car and play with clichés, taken to extremes by Stefan Rohrer, who completely wrapped the body of an old Porsche 911 in gold leaf to create a modern golden calf.
The American Rob Pruitt shows a fountain of tires and used oil, the Guatemalan Dario Escobar baseball bats decorated with flames in the style of American hot rods and the conceptual artist Gerhard Langenfeld works with car paints and their richly associative names. Other artists, such as Axel Bleyer and Manfred Rieker, focus on the unique aesthetics of cars, while Tim Hölscher takes his camera on a hunt for abandoned petrol stations and Swiss artist Patrick Gutenberg focuses on toy cars. Italian Fabio Viale amazes the viewer with deceptively real-looking car tires made of marble.
The exhibition at Museum Art.Plus is not intended to be a survey exhibition about the car in contemporary art. For the exhibits, the Museum Art.Plus draws on its own collection, in which the automobile motif is a focal point, as well as on loans from friends of the museum. The show thus reflects a personal view of the object, which is characterized by a particular fascination with speed. In dialog with the art, the Kunsthaus an der Brigach also shows milestones of design history in its light-filled rooms, legendary sports cars that make the heart of the car enthusiast beat faster. The Museum Art.Plus in Donaueschingen has something for every taste.
Other artists in the exhibition include Gottfried Bechtold, Jona Cerwinske, Rainer Fetting, Jáchym Fleig, Jürgen Knubben, Gianni Piacentino, Manfred Rieker, Rudolf Tschudin, Markus Willeke and Thierry Ysebaert.
More information on the museum's website.
