Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts
Established November 12, 2000
Location Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Director Friedemann Malsch
Website http://www.kunstmuseum.li

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (English: Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) is the state museum of modern and contemporary art in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The building by the Swiss architects Meinrad Morger, Heinrich Degelo and Christian Kerez was completed in November 2000. The museum collection of international modern and contemporary art is also the national art collection of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

History

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

In 1967, the State of Liechtenstein received a gift of ten paintings which resulted in the foundation of the State Art Collection of Liechtenstein the following year. The first curator of the collection was Dr. Georg Malin, a Liechtenstein artist, historian and art historian. He soon expanded the collection to include international modern and contemporary art.

The building of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein how it presents itself today was realized with the support of a group of private donors. Together with the government of Liechtenstein and the City of Vaduz, they planned and implemented the construction of the museum.

In August 2000, the building was officially donated to the Principality of Liechtenstein as a millennium gift. The government established a public foundation to operate the museum. The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein was formally opened on November 12, 2000.

Mr. Friedemann Malsch has been the director of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein since 1996.

Architecture

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein was built by the Swiss architects Meinrad Morger and Heinrich Degelo, along with Christian Kerez. Together they have created a museum building of great structural complexity and discreet simplicity. The closed form is a “black box” of tinted concrete and black basalt stone. River pebbles embedded in the building’s exterior provide a subtle coloration, forming a link to the landscape of the Alpine Rhine Valley. The hand-carved surface of the facade invites touching, and reflects the surroundings. Long rows of windows open the black cube to both inside and outside.

Inside the black box is a perfect White Cube. The building is clearly structured with maximum space devoted to art. The visible exterior of the building corresponds almost exactly to the public exhibition spaces. There are six exhibition rooms arranged around two diametrically opposed staircases. The ground plan, reminiscent of a windmill’s sails, enables diagonal views through the whole building. These exhibition rooms offer art the largest possible freedom through their clarity and precision.

Collection

The collection of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is one of international modern and contemporary art. It covers the period from the nineteenth century to the present with a focus on sculptures and installations. Within the collection of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein well known are works by artists of the Arte Povera.

In 2006, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein together with the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen and the Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt acquired the collection of Cologne-based galerist Rolf Ricke that includes works by Richard Artschwager, Bill Bollinger, Donald Judd, Gary Kuehn, Fabian Marcaccio, Steven Parrino, David Reed, Richard Serra, Keith Sonnier or Jessica Stockholder.

Exhibitions

Past exhibitions include Gary Kuehn, Otto Freundlich, Gottfried Honegger, Leiko Ikemura, Rita McBride, Paul Klee, Jochen Gerz, André Thomkins, František Kupka, Andy Warhol, Fabian Marcaccio, Alighiero Boetti, Fred Sandback, Georg Malin, Sean Scully, Matts Leiderstam, Ferdinand Nigg, Monika Sosnowska, Joseph Beuys, Thomas Schütte, Kazimir Malevich, Martin Frommelt, Matti Braun, Christian Boltanski, Gotthard Graubner, Bill Bollinger or Bojan Šarčević.

In addition, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein also shows special exhibitions with works from the Collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein.

In 2008 the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein was voted one of The World’s Top 10 Ugliest Buildings and Monuments, a list compiled by the website VirtualTourist.[1]

The museum was briefly featured on the television show Top Gear, as a rest stop for the presenters on their search for the "Greatest Driving Road in the World." The segment was featured in Series 10, Episode 1.

References

  1. ↑ "The World’s Top 10 Ugliest Buildings". VirtualTourist.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.

Coordinates: 47°08′22″N 9°31′21″E / 47.13944°N 9.52250°E / 47.13944; 9.52250

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