A New View of Lederhosen “Dirndls, Trunks and Edelweiss: The Folk Art of the Wallach Brothers” is the third in a series of exhibitions at the Jüdisches Museum München focusing on collecting and collectors in the city. Running until December 30, the show explores the impact of two young businessmen from Westphalia who came to Munich in 1900 and opened a folk-art store. Within a few decades, they were dressing the royal court, decking out groups for the Oktoberfest, transforming the dirndl from country attire to city chic, and establishing a folk-art museum. Their store continued after 1933, despite having been “Aryanized.” Although the Wallachs eventually emigrated, their legacy lives on in the Tracht (traditional costume) seen on the streets of Munich, especially this time of year. For more information, visit www.juedisches-museum.muenchen.de
Max Beckmann...The Art of Survival From September 14 to January 6, 2008, the Pinakothek der Moderne will feature works by Max Beckmann (1884–1950), one of the most important German artists of the 20th century. After his art was declared “degenerate” by the Nazis, Beckmann was exiled to Amsterdam in 1937, where he embarked on his most productive decade, completing a third of his life’s work. After the war, the artist moved to the United States, teaching at Washington University in St. Louis, which explains why the St. Louis Art Museum holds an impressive collection of his work. The exhibition is mounted in cooperation with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and offers a chance to recall a critical voice in German art history. For more information, visit www.pinakothek.de
Three Continents, Many Dreams... No matter what language we speak, people around the world share dream themes. Thirty artists from Australia, Germany and Canada have contributed their visions to “In Your Dreams,” an exhibition to be held at the Amerika Haus from September 20 to November 23. The artists, ranging from printmakers and painters to goldsmiths and graphic designers, were asked to explore their dreams. The only requirement: that their creations fit inside a shoe box and not weigh more than 2 kg. The success of the exhibition, which toured Canada in 2006 and will go on to Australia in 2008, is a dream come true for its creators, whose goal was to unite artists and help them to establish contacts worldwide. In addition, a craft workshop based on the dream boxes will be held for children aged 6 to 10 on October 19 and 22 from 2:30 to 5 pm. Space is limited, so call 552 53 70 to reserve; participation costs € 5. For further details, see www.amerikahaus.de
Child’s Play For South African artist Robin Rhode, a schoolchildren’s game was the genesis of his innovative performance art. After drawing objects with chalk, Rhode would breathe life into his creations by interacting with them. Many of his performances, rooted in Johannesburg street life, start with a simple wish. If he wanted to play in a band, for example, the artist would draw and then proceed to “play” the necessary musical instruments. For the past two years, Rhode, now based in Berlin, has focused on creating sculptures, many of which are included in “Walk Off,” his first solo exhibition in a European institution, at the Haus der Kunst from September 16 to January 6, 2008. A highlight will be the September 15 “88 shoes of black coal and white chalk” wall drawing and performance by Rhode, which will include dancer Jean-Baptiste André and composer Thomas Larcher. Free tours will be held throughout the exhibition on Thursdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm. For further information, go to www.hausderkunst.de
