“Almost Done”

Reopening of the exhibition halls at the Löwenpalais

On Saturday, 26 August 2000, the day of the “Long Night of Museums” (“Lange Nacht der Museen”), the foundation will reopen with the exhibition “Almost Done”. The exhibition will show the world-famous American Sol LeWitt, the German rising star Bjørn Melhus and the Japanese artist Yoko Ono, who is linked to the foundation through several exhibitions. In the basement rooms of the palais, Matthias Deumlich, a master-class student of Prof. Rebecca Horn at the HdK Berlin, will present an extraordinary and fascinating installation.

Sol LeWitt is the best-known living artist of mural painting in the world. He was born in Hartford in 1928. His first Wall Drawings were made in 1968; to date about 500 have been executed on five continents. In the main hall of the Löwenpalais a mural of approximately 12 x 7 m will be created to his design.

The young video artist Bjørn Melhus, born in 1966, is regarded as the scene’s new rising star. His work was acquired for the Kunsthalle Bremen by the renowned “video pope”, Prof. Dr Herzogenrath. Exhibitions such as “DIVE IN” (Kunstpanorama, Lucerne) or “Do We Know Each Other?” (“Kennen wir uns?”) (Kunsthalle Nürnberg) show a steeply rising trend. At the reopening he will be represented by two works, to be shown in the west and east wings of the palais respectively.

With “Telephone Peace” Yoko Ono is installing a wall telephone in the very smallest room of the palais. Once a day Yoko Ono will call this telephone, and a visitor to the exhibition who happens to be nearby will have the opportunity to speak with the artist.

Matthias Deumlich’s work can be understood as a sound, light and object installation. The artist combines the elements of air, water and light with glass, lenses and mirrors. The exhibition “The Brittle Flood” (“Die spröde Flut”) at the Parochialkirche in Berlin-Mitte (1999) aroused great interest in his work.

The press conference, in the presence of the artists, will take place on Friday, 25 August 2000 at 12 noon at the Löwenpalais. Please register in good time.