For the first time, the 21 RuhrKunstMuseen are joining forces for a joint exhibition at Villa Hügel in Essen. Works of modern and contemporary art from the collections of the 21 museums enter into a dialog with each other in themed rooms. Artistic impulses from the Ruhr region appear in the light of international developments in recent art history. Major works from the participating collections meet hidden treasures and offer the opportunity for diverse discoveries. The unifying and specific features of the individual collection profiles come to the fore and unfold a panorama of the unique museum landscape in the Ruhr region. From Witten to Oberhausen, from Duisburg to Hagen, from Bottrop to Herne – that also means: from Paula Modersohn-Becker to Gerhard Richter, from Rosemarie Trockel to Emil Schumacher, from Josef Albers to Ibrahim Mahama. 21 × 21 offers a unique journey through the collections of the RuhrKunstMuseen in the impressive setting of the Villa Hügel.
The MKM in dialog: Loans for 21×21. The RuhrKunstMuseen on the hill and a look at the “Jonction” series by K.O. Götz
As part of this exhibition, which is being presented at Villa Hügel, the MKM Museum Küppersmühle is making available a special selection of works on loan from the Ströher Collection. Works by renowned artists such as Jean Arp, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, Rosemarie Trockel, Blinky Palermo, Heinrich Siepmann, Hans-Christian Schink and K.O. Götz will be taken in part from the museum’s own permanent collection to make an exciting contribution to this extraordinary exhibition at the RuhrKunstmuseen.
Jonction II, 1991, Karl Otto Götz, mixed media on canvas, 200x520cm, two parts. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024.
A special highlight is the painting by K.O. Götz, which is shown in the 21×21 exhibition as the MKM’s “anchor work”: Jonction II from 1991. It is one of a series of three paintings of the same size that K. O Götz created between 1990 and 1991. The first of these works, Jonction – 3.10.90, was created on the day of German reunification. In the midst of the historic events, Götz alternated between his studio and the television in order to follow the political developments while painting. Today, this painting belongs to the German Bundestag.
The digital project 21 x 21
The Collections of the RuhrKunstMuseen brings together over 400 works of art from the individual museums in a dialog and provides a cross-section of the collections. Each of the 21 RuhrKunstMuseen selected a work from its collection that served as an impulse for the other museums and formed the basis for a creative exchange. The partner museums each placed a work from their own collection alongside the 21 impulse works – the artworks thus combine different epochs, techniques, themes and artists to create an inspiring dialog and weave a broad network of associations on 21 thematic fields. The artworks are presented at www.21×21.de and on the RuhrKunstMuseen website in images, texts, animations and films.
This will be followed in spring 2025 by the special exhibition 21 x. 21: The Ruhr Art Museums on the Hill (April 11 – July 27, 2025, Villa Hügel, Essen). Based on the digital presentation of the collection, selected works will be presented in themed rooms.
