Claudia Wieser
Hamburger Bahnhof | Endless Exhibition | Something In and On Something Else
Hamburger Bahnhof presents Something In and On Something Else (2024), Claudia Wieser’s new contribution to the Endless Exhibition.
In Something In and On Something Else, space and time, the building and its past merge into the present. Wieser focuses on the round elevator shaft at the entrance to the restaurant, mounting an installation composed of 3,000 glazed ceramic tiles with abstract shapes and historical photographs to the cylindrical architectural form.
Dialogue between the Building and its Past
The renovations to Hamburger Bahnhof between 1994 and 1996 in preparation for its reopening as a museum for contemporary art also included the addition of elevators in the east wing to improve the building's accessibility. Wieser’s installation of around 3,000 glazed ceramic tiles on the eastern elevator shaft refers to these changes in use.
The tiled surface, with its abstract shapes creates associations with figures, while at the same time historical photographs reveal the varied functions of the building between 1880 and 1980. The shiny and reflective surfaces echo the light of Dan Flavin's installation, also conceived for the museum, which is located in the neighbouring historical passageway. The title of Wieser’s site-specific installation refers to a text by the artist Donald Judd from 1965, and characterises the artwork as an object between painting, sculpture, and architecture, which aims to create a sensual experience of the space for the viewer.
The Endless Exhibition combines art, collection, architecture, history, neighbourhood, and visitors and is part of the museum's range of free offerings.
The project by Claudia Wieser is curated by Anna-Catharina Gebbers, curator at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.
The Endless Exhibition is conceived by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, directors of the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, curated by Till Fellrath and Alice Koegel, Head of Exhibitions and Curator at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, and is realised with the kind support of Peppermint and the Freunde der Nationalgalerie.
