Art of Prehistoric Times. Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection

Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Content
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
1. Press release
2
2. Wall texts
5
3. Education programme (only in German)
9
4. Factsheet
14
5. Partners & Sponsors
16
Attachments / Information:
- Copyright list
- Catalogue (only in German)
- The Frobenius-Institute
- Wall AG
- Exhibition programme Martin-Gropius-Bau 2016
- Flyer
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
1. Press release
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
Opening times Wednesday to Monday 10 am – 7 pm, closed on Tuesdays, open on
public holidays
Organiser: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau.
An exhibition run by the Frobenius Institute at the Goethe University of Frankfurt. In
co-operation with the Martin-Gropius-Bau.
Curator: Dr Richard Kuba, with the assistance of Dr Hélène Ivanoff
Communications
Director: Dr Susanne Rockweiler
Press and organisation: Christiane Zippel
T +49 30 254 86 – 236, F +49 30 254 86 – 235
[email protected]
“The art of the twentieth century has already come under the influence of the great
tradition of prehistoric rock art”
Alfred H. Barr, Director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 1937
About the exhibition
In addition to the art of the “primitives” (the term used for
indigenous peoples at the time) and the “naives” (children and the mentally ill), the
quest for original, unspoilt forms of expression in the 1920s and ‘30s gave rise to a
third, often neglected source of inspiration for the development of modern art:
prehistoric art, particularly the oldest human art tradition, rock art. Around 100
samples, including many large, wall-sized copies from the Frobenius Institute, as well
as photographic and archive material, depict the epic history of rock-art
documentation in European caves, the central Sahara, the savannahs of Zimbabwe,
and the Australian outback. This exhibition examines the impact of these neverbefore-seen images on modernity, and the manner in which they have inspired artists.
It also touches on the history of interpreting prehistoric rock art over
the last century. The answers to the question about what prehistoric artists originally
intended for their works 7,000, 10,000 or 30,000 years ago opens up perspectives on
projections typical for the time in the interplay between the
evolutionary/functionalistic paradigms and the postulate of deep-rooted basic
anthropological dispositions.
Often found in inaccessible locations, caves or deserts, these carved
or painted images were made known to a wide audience in cities across Europe and
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
the USA in the form of large-scale painted copies. German ethnologist Leo Frobenius
(1873-1938) created the world’s most prominent collection of these copies. Following
his sixth trip to Africa in 1912, he began taking painters with him as copyists on his
many “German Inner Africa Research Expeditions”. The famous rock art of North
Africa, inner Sahara and southern Africa was all copied on site, often involving great
hazards. Frobenius later also sent expeditions to European rock-art regions in Spain,
France, northern Italy and Scandinavia, as well as to Indonesia and Australia. Until his
death in 1938, he amassed a collection of almost 5,000 rock-art copies, in colour and
usually in original size (up to 2.5 x 10 metres), which is today housed at the Frobenius
Institute at Frankfurt’s Goethe University.
The almost forgotten, spectacular, international exhibition history
of these images has only recently been possible to reconstruct: In the 1930s, the copies
toured almost all major European cities, as well as 32 American metropolises, being
displayed as part of acclaimed exhibitions at Berlin’s Reichstag, Paris’ Trocadéro and
New York’s Museum of Modern Art, among others.
As early as 1937, Alfred H. Barr, the young founding director of the
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), was convinced that “The art of the twentieth century
has already come under the influence of the great traditions of prehistoric rock art”,
consequently exhibiting the rock art alongside works by artists such as Klee, Miró, Arp
and Masson.
Conversely, the interest of art’s avant-garde played virtually no part
in producing the rock-art copies, which were designed as transportable facsimiles, i.e.
as pure scientific images, intended to help prove the cultural and historical
developments of the earliest prehistory. According to Frobenius, the painters had to
“adopt a level of intellectuality and spirituality befitting the past” when copying
prehistoric rock art.
Nevertheless, the copyists each also blazed their own trail striking a
balance between scientific documentation and artistry. They were well aware of the
interest expressed by art’s avant-garde in the prehistoric images. The variety of
painting techniques used, and the sometimes experimental attempts at reproducing
the structure of the rocky background through colour and texture, and coping with
weathered, incomplete motifs, attest to individual styles and contemporary artistic
influences.
Over time, the status of the painted copies has changed, from
copies, to original copies, into originals. While painting was initially the
documentation method of choice since photographs could not yet be taken in colour not to mention original size - the 1950s and ‘60s saw it become the first of many
technological dead-ends in the scientific documentation of prehistoric rock art. The
notion of translating 3D to 2D, coupled with their idealisation and dramatisation of
motifs, meant painted rock-art copies were soon discredited as scientific images. At
the same time, the painted copies increasingly and unwittingly became a unique art
form of their own, and a leading fossil of a bygone science era in which art and
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
science were combined more naturally. According to German ethnologist Mark Münzel,
the images were a form of “scientific expressionism”.
The exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bau also highlights the
interplay between art and scientific pictures in the 1920s and ‘30s, showing how copies
of rock images became art, and how art was simultaneously influenced by said copies.
The numerous rock images on display spark a lively discussion on the
early beginnings of art and human creativity in the contemporary art scene at the
time. Some pieces clearly illustrate the effect of these exhibitions. The work of Willi
Baumeister, for example, underwent a shift in style around 1929/30, adopting many of
the design elements and techniques used in the rock art. The influence is subtler with
other artists. While Europe’s surrealists certainly benefited greatly from interacting
with prehistoric art, yet the works of Jackson Pollock also contain some allusions.
This exhibition on ancient art as a subject of research and a vital
source of inspiration for modernity discusses surprisingly relevant issues.
The Kulturstiftung der Länder, Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung and
Hahn-Hissinck’sche Frobenius-Stiftung all contributed generously to restoration of the
works.
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
2. Wall texts
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
Introduction
Between 1913 and 1939, artists undertook numerous adventurous expeditions in Africa,
Oceania, Australia and Europe, in the process of which they made some 5,000
facsimiles of prehistoric rock pictures. They did this on behalf of the German
ethnologist Leo Frobenius (1873–1938) and thus created the world’s oldest and most
comprehensive collection of its kind.
Founded by Frobenius in Berlin in 1898, his “Africa Archive” evolved
from humble beginnings and a stopover in Munich (1920–1925) to the then largest
German ethnological research institute, based in Frankfurt am Main. Mostly found in
remote and inaccessible places, in inhospitable deserts, lonely mountain worlds or
hidden caves, the rock art ensembles were painstakingly facsimiled to their original
sizes. Thus, the paintings which belong to mankind’s earliest artefacts and had so far
been known to only a handful of scientists, attained broad public awareness. The
colour facsimiles were published in large format coffee-table books and were put on
display in numerous exhibitions throughout Europe and the U.S.A.
By comparing the rock pictures Frobenius wanted to settle cultural
and historical issues such as the migration of prehistoric styles between the continents.
Intended as documentary science images, the copies nevertheless bear the imprint of
aesthetic power and the aura of the prehistoric original. Together with the art of the
“primitive” and the “naive”, they, hitherto largely ignored, became yet another source
of inspiration for the development of modern art. Alfred H. Barr, the founding director
of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) which in 1937 exhibited facsimiles
from the Frobenius collection remarked, “The art of the 20th century has already come
under the influence of the great tradition of prehistoric mural art.”
Southern Africa 1928-1930
The south of Africa possesses one of the richest rock art traditions in
the world, and the oldest works of art, more than 75,000 years old, also hail from here.
The rock paintings and engravings that can be found not in caves but mostly under
rock shelters are more recent. Age determination is difficult, but they are likely to
have been created some 12,500, 4,000 or 2,500 years ago, depending upon the region
in which they were found. Most are accredited to the indigenous people of the region,
the San, formerly also known as “Bushmen”, who made rock paintings from as early
as the Neolithic Age to the early colonial period. Their religious beliefs were the key to
an influential theory which interprets many images as shamanic journeys into the
spirit world. In addition to big game such as antelopes, the rock paintings and
engravings of southern Africa very often show people. With a team of seven assistants,
including the painters Elisabeth Mannsfeld, Agnes Schulz, Maria Weyersberg, and
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Joachim Lutz, Leo Frobenius toured southern Africa between 1928 and 1930. To copy
the “Bushmen paintings” the artists spent long months in the remote Drakensberg
Mountains, the Namib Desert, and the savannahs of Zimbabwe. For the painters who
were trained at art academies and later often pursued successful artistic careers, it
was imperative to copy the paintings as faithfully as possible. Painted on spotty rocky
substrates, exposed to changing light conditions and often faded, the originals were
partially barely recognizable. In order to translate them into two-dimensional copies
and rectangular cut-outs, the painters often had to take considerable artistic licence.
North Africa and the Sahara 1914, 1926, 1932-1935
While rock engravings are mostly to be found in North Africa, there
are also numerous rock paintings in the mountainous regions of the Sahara. Probably
as early as about 10,000 years ago, people began depicting big game such as giraffes,
elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, and hippos – a proof of the fact that at that time a
much more humid climate must have prevailed in the largest desert in the world.
About 8,000 years ago, man gains centre stage in these pictures and around 6,500
years ago, cattle herds become their dominant theme. With progressive dehydration,
camels eventually follow 2,500 years ago.
Frobenius’ first rock art expedition in 1913 took him to the northern
edge of the Sahara. He wanted to prove that the cave art of the European Ice Age was
not extinct, but continued to live on the African continent. In 1926, this expedition was
followed by a trip to the Nubian Desert (Egypt) and by several expeditions in the
eastern Sahara in the 1930s, where he and his team discovered several previously
unknown rock art ensembles. In 1933, Frobenius teamed up with the Hungarian László
Almásy, a pioneer of Saharan research with aircraft and automobile support. On this
trip Almásy discovered the “Cave of the Swimmers” which featured prominently in the
Hollywood melodrama “The English Patient”, a 1996 Oscar winner. This and especially
the next big Sahara expedition (1934– 1935) relied entirely on automobiles in the quest
to advance in pathless and unmapped terrain in order to reach remote petroglyph
sites. The 14 participants, among them seven women, frequently had to dig out the
heavy vehicles that had sunk into the sand in spite of their tires having been widened
by low air pressure. Breakdowns induced by axle fractures were daily routine, and
repairs required a lot of time and talent for improvisation.
Europe: Spain and Southern France 1934, 1936, 1937
After the exceptionally vivid rock painting galleries of the northern
Spanish Altamira cave had been discovered in 1879, it took over 20 years until the
authenticity of the images was confirmed. The evolutionist mantra, whereby our
ancestors were but dull primitives traipsing about ice-age Europe was shaken.
Subsequently, many other ice age “cave paintings” were discovered in France and
Spain, the origins of which date back 30,000 years (Chauvet, France), or even over
40,000 years (El Castillo, Spain).
In the mid-1930s respectively, three documentation excursions led
by the painter Maria Weyersberg were undertaken to the rock painting caves in the
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
French Dordogne and northern Spain where the monumental big game
representations in the older “Franco- Cantabrian” style were copied. The destinations
also included eastern Spain where more recent petroglyphs – mostly battle and
hunting scenes under overhanging rocks – were copied, and Galicia with its exposed
rock engravings.
Copying was extremely difficult, especially in narrow muddy caves lit
by flickering carbide lamps. Several calking and sketching stages were necessary.
Frobenius rejected any idealization, insisting on faithful copies of the rock paintings
and petroglyphs in their current state of preservation with all their erosion induced
imperfections and the surrounding bedrock often visible through the translucent
motifs. Frobenius’ own description of the act of copying is rather mystical when he
says that this “can be done satisfactorily only by those who have, so to speak,
immersed themselves in the material and are sensitive to the spirit and the mentality
of an age which has passed”.
Europe: Italy and Scandinavia 1934-1937
The approximately 150,000 rock engravings in the northern Italian
Val Camonica and some 40,000 engravings in the “Valley of Wonders” in the French
Maritime Alps originated from the Early Bronze Age to the era of the Roman Empire.
They show a variety of motifs: people, houses, animals, and weapons. Most
Scandinavian rock engravings are likely to be somewhat more recent. Individual
images are, however, estimated to be up to 8,000 years old. Particularly impressive
are large-format linear representations of animals.
During a total of five excursions between 1934 and 1937 Frobenius
had the rock engravings of the southern Alpine region documented. The painter Agnes
Schulz in turn copied petroglyphs in Scandinavia in 1934 and 1935. The extent to which
the interest in these rock pictures was also due to the new political situation is unclear.
Founded as a private venture, Frobenius’ “Research Institute of Cultural Morphology”
guaranteed a high degree of freedom. Its funding, however, was at no time
permanently secured and depended on Frobenius’ good contacts with the top echelons
of politics, business and government bureaucracy. His personal friendship with the
former German Kaiser Wilhelm II. was very useful. His expedition in the Libyan desert
was undertaken under the auspices of Mussolini. Grants by Hindenburg and Hitler
helped in the funding of research excursions in the mid-1930s. However, other Nazis,
such as Alfred Rosenberg, vehemently rejected Frobenius’ research because of its lack
of racial reference.
Australia and Western Papua 1937-1939
Australian and Indonesian rock art belongs to the oldest of its kind
in the world. According to the latest age determinations, they are as old as the art in
the European Ice Age caves, up to 40,000 years. At the same time, there is a continual
tradition of rock painting. In Indonesian Western Papua, rocks were still painted until
a few generations ago, and among the Australian Aborigines old rock paintings are
“freshened up” to this very day.
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
The Australian rock art on display all come from the northwest of
the continent, the Kimberley, which is the traditional settlement area of the
Aboriginal community of the Wanjina Wunggur. It is probably the only region in the
world that allows a precise insight into a vibrant indigenous cultural tradition with
“rock art” being an integral part thereof. It represents an episteme of its own in which
stories, people, places, animals and plants are connected with one another in a
complex network of semantic threads. The images are a core element of the selfunderstanding and the sense of place of local communities. Thus, they are not
paintings in the Western sense; they are seen – quite literally – as manifestations of
supernatural beings (Wandjina, Gwion, Woongudd) which created the topographical
and other characteristics of their homeland before transforming themselves into
pictures in specific places. Any reproduction of the rock art images is thus not without
its problems. The images shown here are presented with the explicit consent of the
traditional owners. They are still of fundamental importance for the cultural, social,
and spiritual life of the Australian Aborigines.
Exhibitions and Artistic Reception 1912-1938
As documentation of prehistoric art the Frobenius Collection
became increasingly less important from the 1960s on. Colour photography seemed to
offer more faithful ways of reproduction, and the copying of rock art was henceforth
seen as a technological impasse because of the inviolable artistic freedom of the
copyists. Only recently and under very different new auspices has the collection begun
to be appreciated again. For one thing, it is the oldest and most extensive
documentation of African rock art, many ensembles of which now have World
Heritage status. Through human influences of the past 100 years, the originals were
often heavily affected or completely destroyed.
Furthermore the almost forgotten spectacular international
exhibition history could recently be reconstructed: In the 1930s, the rock art copies
travelled through almost all European capitals as well as 32 U.S. cities. They were
shown in acclaimed exhibitions, among others in the Paris Trocadéro, the Reichstag in
Berlin and the New York Museum of Modern Art. What influence did these hitherto
unseen images from distant African deserts and hidden caves have on contemporary
artists as they were shown in color and in original size to a large metropolitan public
for the first time? The specific style of the rock paintings with regard to perspective
and dynamics, space and surface is an essential clue, as well as their unusual
presentation: frameless and in wall-filling sizes. We know of many protagonists of
modern painting who visited the rock art exhibitions and had a prominent place for
Frobenius’ illustrated books on their bookshelves.
Prehistoric rock art caught the eyes of European and North
American artists at the moment when they relinquished traditional academic forms of
painting, renounced figurative motifs, and began to create collages and large murals.
This is why Joan Miró could announce in 1928 that “since the age of cave painting, art
has done nothing but degenerate” and Alberto Giacometti in 1946: “there and only
there movement has succeeded”.
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
3. Education programme (only in German)
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
3.1 Für Schulklassen
Stellt Euch vor, Ihr seid im Süden und sucht einen schattigen Platz. Ihr
findet ihn in einer Höhle und entdeckt dort an den Wänden seltsame Zeichnungen:
Felsbilder. Sie sind tausende von Jahren alt. Was bedeuten sie? Wer hat sie wann aus
welchem Material geschaffen und warum? Das sind Fragen, die sich bis heute
Wissenschaftler*innen stellen und die gar nicht leicht zu beantworten sind.
Mit dieser Ausstellung von spektakulär kopierten Felsbildern wandern
wir mit Euch gedanklich bis zu 20.000 Jahre zurück. Wir nehmen Euch mit nach
Spanien, in verschiedene Länder Afrikas und nach Australien. Wir betrachten Kunst,
die entstanden ist lange bevor das Papier erfunden wurde. Die Felsbilder gehören zu
den faszinierendsten Zeugnissen künstlerischen Schaffens der Menschheit. Das
Erstaunliche ist, dass sie nicht alt und prähistorisch anmuten, sondern frisch und ganz
aktuell wirken. Sie erinnern an Künstler*innen, die uns vertraut sind - an Paul Klee,
Joan Miró, Henri Matisse oder auch an Julian Schnabel und Joseph Beuys. Und
gleichzeitig sind in diesen gemalten oder geritzten Arbeiten Geschichten unserer
Vorfahren festgehalten. Sie zeigen manche Szenen, die wir kennen - Menschenmassen
auf dem Weg, Tierdarstellungen, Bildergeschichten von der Jagd – und welche, die
noch immer Rätsel aufgeben.
Dem Enträtseln von unterschiedlichen Darstellungen gehen wir in den
Workshops ebenso nach wie den Abenteuern des Auffindens und Kopierens der
Felsbilder. Ob wir selbst malen? Selbstverständlich. Dies mit Bleistift oder im Atelier
auch mit gemahlener Erde, Kalk, Gips oder Pflanzensäften. Und ganz am Ende unserer
Workshops stellen wir fest: Kunst spielte bereits damals eine herausragende Rolle.
Workshops
a. Zurück in die Zukunft
Man weiß nicht viel über die Hintergründe und Bedeutung der
jahrtausendalten Malereien auf Felsen und in Höhlen, die Leo Frobenius in Afrika,
Australien und Europa entdeckt hat. Aber eines ist sicher: Sie stellen wichtige
kulturelle, soziale und heilige Szenen des damaligen Lebens dar. Was würdet Ihr aus
unserer heutigen Zeit auf Felsen hinterlassen? Welche technischen Errungenschaften,
welche historischen Ereignisse oder auch Alltagssituationen des 21. Jahrhunderts
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
würdet Ihr für die nächsten Jahrtausende festhalten wollen? Malt es, wir sind
gespannt.
Workshops für Schulklassen: nach Vereinbarung / max. 30 Schüler*innen
Sonntagsworkshop für Familien: 31.1. und 14.2., 13-15 Uhr, keine Gebühr, Anmeldung
empfohlen (begrenzte Teilnehmerzahl)
b. Magische Geschichten
Mammuts, die gejagt werden, Menschen die tanzen oder sich in
Prozessionen auf den Weg machen, Elefantengesichter, die an Figuren aus Star Wars
erinnern, waghalsig springende Antilopen, dahinschreitende Giraffen, dickbäuchige
Gottesanbeterinnen, seltsame Tiere auf zwei Beinen. Übermalungen und Witterung
zum Trotz haben die Bilder und ihre Geschichten dank der Felsbildkopien bis heute
überdauert. Welche Geschichten erzählen sie uns, welche lesen wir aus ihnen und wie
lassen sich die Bildgeschichten weiterspinnen? Ob mit Worten oder Bildern, Ihr könnt
selbst entscheiden: Was ist davor, was danach passiert.
Workshops für Schulklassen: nach Vereinbarung / max. 30 Schüler*innen
Sonntagsworkshop für Familien: 28.2. und 6.3. , 13-15 Uhr
keine Gebühr, Anmeldung empfohlen (begrenzte Teilnehmerzahl)
c. SMS geritzt
Stell Dir vor, Du bist in einer Felslandschaft in Skandinavien,
Australien oder in der afrikanischen Sahara und willst unbedingt eine Botschaft
hinterlassen. Du hast weder Handy noch Papier und Stift dabei. Dann fällt dein Blick
auf einen spitzen Stein. Du ergreifst ihn und beginnst, deine Nachricht mit diesem
Stein in einen Felsvorsprung zu ritzen. Buchstaben und Worte sind zu kompliziert. Du
nutzt Bilder. Du ritzt einfache und klare Konturen in die Felsoberfläche, Loch für Loch,
Linie für Linie. Und genau das machen wir in der Atelierarbeit: Eine Gravur geritzt in
Gips.
Workshops für Schulklassen: nach Vereinbarung / max. 30 Schüler*innen
Sonntagsworkshop für Familien: 20.3., 13-15 Uhr
keine Gebühr, Anmeldung empfohlen (begrenzte Teilnehmerzahl)
MGB SchülerUni
Wir öffnen unser Haus und vertiefen für Schüler*innen der Klassen 5
bis 12 und Lehrende im Vortragsgespräch Themen, die durch die Ausstellungen
tangiert werden. Dazu laden wir Experten ein, nach einem Impulsreferat den jungen
Menschen Rede und Antwort zu stehen.
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Abenteuer Felsbild-Expedition. Auf den Spuren von Leo Frobenius
Was treibt einen Mensch an, um sich auf den Weg in unbekannte
Länder zu machen? Was sucht er? Ruhm? Reichtum? Leo Frobenius (1873-1938) war
solch ein Mensch. Zwölf Mal machte er sich auf den Weg. Bereits auf seinen ersten
Expeditionen war er auf der Suche nach den ursprünglichen Formen afrikanischer
Kulturen. Er war getrieben von der Vorstellung, sich mit aller Kraft gegen die
Modernisierung zu stemmen. Und in Afrika schien er all das in den Mythen, Masken
und Malereien zu finden, was er in Europa an Wert vermisste. Frobenius war
Abenteurer und Afrika-Entdecker, Ethnologe und Kulturphilosoph, Monarchist und
Ideenspender für ein neues Afrika-Bild. Er glaubte sich bisweilen auf den Spuren des
alten Atlantis…
Ein Vortragsgespräch mit Dr. Richard Kuba, Ethnologe und Leiter der FrobeniusSammlung an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. Do, 2.3.2016, 10.30 – 13h, Anmeldung
erforderlich.
Der Vortrag ist gekoppelt mit einer anschließenden Führung durch die Ausstellung.
Dauer der Vorlesung und Führung jeweils 60 min. Vortrag und Führung sind kostenlos.
3.2 Für Familien und Kinder
Immer wieder sonntags…
Während der Ausstellungslaufzeit laden wir Familien ein, immer sonntags von
13-15 Uhr gemeinsam die Ausstellung zu entdecken und bildnerisch-praktisch
tätig zu werden. Nach einem 30-minütigen Blick in die Ausstellung verzahnen
sich Ausstellungsbesuch und bildnerisch-praktisches Arbeiten.
3.3 Für Berufstätige
Der Kreativ-Kick in der Mittagspause
Lunchführungen zur Ausstellung
Das Ausstellungshaus Martin-Gropius-Bau bietet ein Format an, das die Mittagspause
zum Kreativ-Kick werden lässt. Jeden ersten Mittwoch im Monat stellen wir Ihnen
Künstler und Ausstellungskonzepte in einem 40-minütigen Rundgang vor.
Anschließend gibt es Raum für ein Lunch im Restaurant Gropius.
Mittwochs 13 Uhr, 03.02., 02.03., 06.04., 04.05.2016
Dauer ca. 40 Min.
Anmeldung für Workshops und Lunchführungen
MuseumsInformation Berlin
Tel +49 30 24749 888
Fax +49 30 24749 883
[email protected]
www.museumsdienst-berlin.de
Page 11 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
3.4 Tagung im Rahmen der Ausstellung
HÖHLEN: Paläontologie, Philologie und Anthropologie
Tagung im Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin
anlässlich der Ausstellung „Kunst der Vorzeit. Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius“
3.-4. März 2016
Gefördert von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, der Agence Nationale de la
Recherche und der Deutsch-Französischen Hochschule
Die Teilnahme ist kostenlos, Anmeldung erforderlich
Seit dem Zusammenbruch der biblischen Herkunftsgeschichte und der
daran gebundenen genealogischen Ordnung ist Europa besessen von seinen
historischen Ursprüngen: Wenn nicht aus dem Paradies, woher dann stammt der
Mensch? Wie ist seine ursprüngliche ‚Ausstattung‘ zu begreifen und wie steht sie in
Zusammenhang mit Struktur und Prozess seiner Weltaneignung?
Wenn die Fragen nach der Tiefenzeit des ‚Menschen‘ wieder
Hochkonjunktur in den frühgeschichtlichen Erzählungen unserer Gegenwart haben,
von der paläontologischen Genetik bis zu den evolutionären Archäologien, kehren
darin doch unter einem neuem Legitimitätsanspruch die geschichtsphilosophischen
wie biologischen Metaerzählungen des 19. Jahrhunderts zurück. Schon diese hatten
hinter ihren verschiedenen auratisierenden Spielarten nur schlecht ihre religiösen
Sehnsüchte und mythologischen Strukturen kaschiert.
Anthropologie und Ethnografie, Philologie und Historische
Sprachforschung haben in diesem Sinne seit dem 19. Jahrhundert ausgehend von der
Sintflut und den rettenden Bergen die Geschichte der Menschheit erzählt. Eine
wichtige Funktion spielen die Höhlen, und dies nicht nur als frühe Siedlungsorte: Schon
Platon hatte bekanntlich die Frage nach Anlage und Erkenntnisfähigkeit des
Menschen anhand von Schattenbildern auf Höhlenwänden aufgeworfen. Die moderne
Forschung konstruiert aus den Höhlenbildern Bilder vom Menschen. Jagddarstellungen
sind zugleich Kosmogonien, mythische Zeichen, Rationalität und Sprachrhythmus.
Leo Frobenius, eine der einflussreichsten Persönlichkeiten in der
Geschichte der modernen Ethnologie, dessen Sammlung von Höhlenbildern parallel zur
Tagung im Martin-Gropius-Bau gezeigt werden, ist auch der Autor einer vielgestaltig
rezipierten Kulturkreis- und Ursprungslehre. Aufschlussreich sind deshalb nie nur die
alten Felsbilder selbst, sondern ihre dichten Beschreibungen; nicht nur die politische
Rezeptions- und Ausstellungsgeschichte der Artefakte, sondern die Strukturen des
Diskurses über den Menschen und seine ästhetische Gestaltung der Welt. Der Blick auf
die Deutung der Höhlenrätsel lässt anthropologische Vorstellungen historisch werden
und rationalistische oder romantische, universalistische oder differenzialistische
Konzepte hervortreten. Diesem Zusammenhang von Erkenntnisort und Wissensgenese
ist die Tagung gewidmet, die Philologen, Philosophen, Ideen- und Kunsthistoriker
zusammenführt.
Page 12 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Konzept:
PD Dr. Markus Messling, Centre Marc Bloch, Stellvertretender Direktor
Email: [email protected]
PD Dr. Marcel Lepper, Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach, Leiter des
Forschungsreferats
Email: [email protected]
Dr. habil. Jean-Louis Georget, IFRA, Frankfurt
Email: [email protected]
In Zusammenarbeit mit Dr. Richard Kuba, Frobenius-Institut, Universität Frankfurt
Das Programm ist ab dem 15.2.2016 online unter www.gropiusbau.de
Anmeldung unter: [email protected]
Page 13 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
4. Factsheet
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
Opening hours: Wednesday through Monday, 10 am – 7 pm, closed Tuesdays, open on
public holidays
Presented by: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. An exhibition run by the
Frobenius Institute at the Goethe University of Frankfurt. In cooperation with the
Martin-Gropius-Bau.
Communications
Director: Dr. Susanne Rockweiler
Press and organization: Christiane Zippel
T +49 30 254 86 – 236, F +49 30 254 86 – 235
[email protected]
Ticket prices
10 € adults / reduced 6 €; groups (5 persons or more) 6 € per person
Under 16: free admission
Online ticket sales: www.gropiusbau.de/tickets
Catalogue
Published by Prestel Verlag
Museum edition: € 25
Retail edition: € 39.95
ISBN 978-3-7913-5503-0
Supplementing the catalogue is a reader containing further texts relating to the
exhibition, entitled „Die Kunst der Vorzeit. Texte zu den Felsbildern der Sammlung
Frobenius“ (“Art of Prehistoric Times. Texts on the rock paintings of the Frobenius
Collection”) and published by the Frobenius Institute.
Museum edition: € 15
ISBN: 978-3-9806506-8-7
Guided Tours
Public tour
Sunday, 2 pm (no registration required)
€ 3 plus entry fee of € 6 per person
Pre-booked tours
For groups: Tours in German (60 min.)
Adults € 60 plus entry fee of € 6 per person
School groups: € 45 plus entry fee of € 4 per person
Children under 16 free
Tours in other languages € 10 extra
Lunch tours: Wednesdays 1 pm
3/2, 2/3, 6/4, 4/5/2016
Page 14 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Public workshops for families
Sundays 1 pm: 31/1, 14/2, 28/2, 6/3, 20/3/2016
No fee, booking recommended, limited participant numbers
Programme: www.gropiusbau.de/schuelerprogramm
Information and tour bookings
MuseumsInformation Berlin
Tel. +49 30 24749-888, Fax +49 30 24749-883
[email protected]
www.museumsdienst-berlin.de
Page 15 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
5. Partners & Sponsors
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
Organizer:
In cooperation with:
The Martin-Gropius-Bau is funded by:
Partners:
Media partners:
Generously contribution to restoration of the works:
Page 16 / 16
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Attachments
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
21 January – 16 May 2016
- Copyright list
- Catalogue (only in German)
- The Frobenius-Institute
- Wall AG
- Exhibition programme Martin-Gropius-Bau 2016
- Flyer
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Presse Office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
As of: 14.01.2016
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin
21. Januar bis 16. Mai 2016
Bitte beachten Sie die Bildlegenden. Das Bildmaterial dient ausschließlich zur
aktuellen redaktionellen Berichterstattung über die Ausstellung „Kunst der Vorzeit. Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius“ (21. Januar bis 16. Mai 2016) im
Martin-Gropius-Bau. Die Berichterstattung von Text und Bild muss im Verhältnis
1:1 stehen, dann ist das Bildmaterial für 5 Bilder kostenfrei. Die Bilder dürfen
nicht beschnitten, überdruckt oder manipuliert werden. Bitte vermerken Sie bei
der Veröffentlichung die Angaben der Bildlegende. Die Rechte für Titelbildnutzungen und Bildstrecken sind bei dem jeweiligen Rechteinhaber direkt einzuholen und können kostenpflichtig sein. Wir bitten um Zusendung von 2 Belegexemplaren an die unten genannte Adresse.
Please respect the copyright. All image material is to be used solely for editorial
coverage of the current exhibition “Art of Prehistoric Times. Rock Paintings from
the Frobenius Collection“ (21 January to 16 May 2016) at the Martin-GropiusBau. Please always mention the name of the artist, the work title and the copyright in the caption. The images must not be altered in any way, such as being
cropped or printed over. The rights of use for title-page photos or photo spreads
are to be obtained directly from the respective copyright holder. The ratio of
text to image in the coverage should be 1:1, in which case there will be no charge
for the use of 5 photos. Please send us 2 copies of your article to the address
mentioned below.
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressearbeit / press office:
Tel: +49 30 25486-236 Fax: +49 30 25486-235 | [email protected]
Öffentlichkeitsarbeit / public relations:
Tel: +49 30 25486-123 | Fax: +49 30 25486-107 | [email protected]
Download der Bilddateien unter / Download of the images at:
www.gropiusbau.de/pressefotos
01_Prozession_Detail.jpg
01_Prozession.jpg
Prozession
Simbabwe, Chinamora, Massimbura
8.000-2.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Elisabeth Mannsfeld, 1929
65x202,5 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 1 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
02_Begräbnisszene. Mumie im Ochsenfell.jpg
Begräbnisszene mit Mumie im Ochsenfell
Simbabwe, Rusape, Fishervall 8.000-2.000
v.Chr.
Aquarell von Joachim Lutz und Leo Frobenius,
1929
132,5x242 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
03_Elefantenkontur, riesiges rotes Tier, Böcke
und Menschen.jpg
Elefantenkontur, riesiges rotes Tier, Böcke und
Menschen
Simbabwe, Marandellas, Inoro
8.000-2.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Joachim Lutz, 1929
151x616 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
04_Drei hockende Gestalten.jpg
Drei hockende Gestalten
Simbabwe, Macheke
8.000-2.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Leo Frobenius, 1929
31x44 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
05_Stehende und liegende Formlinge.jpg
Stehende und liegende Formlinge
Simbabwe, Chinamora, Makumbe
8.000-2.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Joachim Lutz, 1929
136x734 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 2 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
06_Hirschjagd.jpg
Hirschjagd
Spanien, Valltorta, Cueva Mas d'en Josep
8.000-3.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Alf Bayrle,1934
50x38 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
07_Stehender weiblicher Wisent.jpg
Stehender weiblicher Wisent
Spanien, Kantabrien, Altamira
16.000-14.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Elisabeth Charlotte Pauli, 1936
69x100 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
08_Elenantilopen, Büffel und Menschen.jpg
Elenantilopen, Büffel und Menschen
Republik Südafrika, Harrismith, Balmoral
8.000-2.000 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Maria Weyersberg, 1929
98x134 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 3 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
09_Elenantilopen und sehr langgliedrige Menschen.jpg
Elenantilopen und langgliedrige Menschen
Republik Südafrika, Harrismith, Southeys Hoek
1.500 v.Chr. - 1.500 n.Chr.
Aquarell von Elisabeth Mannsfeld, 1929
63x50,5 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
10_Wandjina.jpg
Wandjina
Australien, Kimberley, Mount Hann
nach 1.800 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Douglas C.Fox, 1938
73x108,5 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
11_Hand mit drei kleinen Figuren.jpg
Hand mit drei kleinen Figuren Ägypten, Gilf Kebir, Wadi Sura
4.400–3.500 v.Chr.
Aquarell von Elisabeth Charlotte Pauli, 1933
49,5x34,5 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 4 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
12_Gruppe menschlicher Figuren.jpg
Gruppe menschlicher Figuren
Ägypten, Gilf Kebir, Wadi Sura 4.400–3.500
v.Chr.
Aquarell von Elisabeth Charlotte Pauli, 1933
35x41 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
13_Handsilhouetten, Fische und Mond.jpg
Handsilhouetten, Fische und Mond
Indonesien, Westpapua, Tabulinetin
500-1.500 n.Chr.
Aquarell von Albert Hahn, 1937
65x95 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
14_Hand- und Fußsilhouetten.jpg
Hand- und Fußsilhouetten
Indonesien, Westpapua, Abba 500-1.500 n.Chr.
Öl auf Leinwand von Albert Hahn, 1937-1938
230x480 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 5 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
15_Große Elenantilopen und zahlreiche Figuren.jpg
Große Elenantilopen und zahlreiche Figuren
Lesotho, Khotso, Ha Baroana
1.500 v.Chr. - 1.500 n.Chr.
Aquarell von Maria Weyersberg und Elisabeth
Mannsfeld, 1929
210x1073 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
16_Gorgo-Elefant.jpg
Gorgo-Elefant
Libyen, Fezzan, Wadi In Habeter
10.000-6.000 v.Chr.
Kohle auf Papier von Ruth Assisa Cuno, 1932
140x99 cm
© Frobenius-Institut Frankfurt am Main
Seite 6 / 6
——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Pressebüro, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
Stand: 17.12.2015
Karl-Heinz Kohl, Richard Kuba,
Hélène Ivanoff (Hrsg.)
Kunst der Vorzeit
Felsbilder aus der Sammlung Frobenius
256 Seiten mit 160 Abbildungen
Gebunden, 24 x 28 cm
€ 39,95 [D] / € 41,10 [A], CHF 48,50
ISBN: 978-3-7913-5503-0
Katalog zur Ausstellung im
Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin (21. Januar – 16. Mai 2016)
Der deutsche Ethnologe Leo Frobenius legte die weltweit bedeutendste Sammlung
großformatiger Kopien prähistorischer Felskunst an: Die jahrtausendealten
Bildensembles, oft an unzugänglichen Orten wie Höhlen und Wüsten zu finden, wurden
zwischen 1914 und 1939 unter abenteuerlichen Umständen auf Leinwand abgemalt.
Nach Nordafrika, der Sahara und dem südlichen Afrika entsandte Frobenius auch
Expeditionen in die europäischen Felsbildgebiete sowie nach Indonesien und Australien.
So entstand eine Sammlung von über 5.000 Kopien, farbig und meist in Originalgröße
mit Formaten von bis zu 2,5 x 10 Metern. Erst in jüngster Zeit konnte die fast vergessene,
spektakuläre internationale Ausstellungsgeschichte dieser Bilder rekonstruiert werden,
die in den 1930er-Jahren in Europa und in den USA gezeigt worden waren. Welche
Wirkung diese zuvor unbekannten Bilder hatten und wie sie zeitgenössische Künstler
inspirierten, ist auch ein Thema dieses Buches.
Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Kohl leitet das Frobenius-Institut an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt.
Dr. Richard Kuba und Dr. Hélène Ivanoff sind dort wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter.
Weitere Informationen: Prestel Verlag, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit,
Pia Werner, 089-4136-2355, [email protected]:
Nach erfolgter Rezension bitten wir um einen Beleg. Vielen Dank!
The Frobenius-Institut
The Frobenius-lnstitut is the oldest institute for ethnological research in Germany. Four academic
and four non-academic staff are in charge of its four scientific collections and an archive of scientific
legacies. Besides the continuous care, edition and further development of the collections, these
scholars also carry out ethnological research. Research mainly focuses on Southeast Asia, Oceania
West Africa and Ethiopia, as well as on the cultural appropriation processes in the context of
globalization. Furthermore the Institute regularly houses research projects externally financed by
foundations such as the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Besides occasional conferences, symposia and exhibitions, the Frobenius-lnstitut organizes its annual
Frobenius lecture and the Jensen Memorial lecture and annually grants the Frobenius Research
Award. Most of these events are supported by the Hahn-Hissink Frobenius Foundation.
The Institute’s rich collections are the result of an institutional collection- and documentation
endeavor started in 1898 and continued in 1938 after the death of the Institute's founder, Leo
Frobenius. In the first thirty years, Frobenius and his collaborators carried out a total of twelve
expeditions, mainly to Africa. One of the special and most remarkable features of the Frobenius
research expeditions was the appreciation of visual forms of documentation. This led to the creation
of a collection of photographs and drawings quite unique in Europe. Accompanied by a team of
ethnographers, draughtsmen and photographers Frobenius tried explore the 'ancient Africa' in the
most extensive and systematic manner. Passionately, often improvising and not always disclosing his
sources, he created an extensive archive of objects and customs, stories and myths, rock-pictures
and architecture. Threatened by modernization, these diverse cultures should at least be conserved
in museums, archives and monographs. At the same time, Frobenius endeavored to draw up a
systematic and comprehensive culture theory, which he called 'Kulturmorphologie'.
Publications
Journal: "Paideuma" (since 1938),
Series: "Studien zur Kulturkunde" (since 1933), ''Afrika Archiv" (since 1995), "Religionsethnologische
Studien" (since 1998)
Ethnological Library
Catalogue: http://bibliothek.frobenius-katalog.de
The Ethnological library was founded in 1898 by Leo Frobenius as a reference library and continually
developed until the present. It is one of the most important libraries specialized in the field of
ethnology. In 2015, it comprised approx. 125,000 volumes, approx. 30,000 of which are considered
rare prints. Books are arranged as an open shelf library according to the library's cataloging system
and – with the exception of a few special rarissimae – can be lent out. Thanks to retro cataloguing
even most of the older books are accessible through the online catalogue. As a special feature, the
catalogues also include journal articles. Regional emphasis is on Africa, America, Southeast Asia and
Oceania; special thematic features include publications on rock-pictures, archaeology, as well as
material culture.
Contact: Dr. Sophia Thubauville: [email protected], front desk: +49 69 798 33240
Ethnographic Picture and Rock Art Collection
Online database: http://bildarchiv.frobenius-katalog.de/
The picture collection is a worldwide documentation covering material culture, art, rock-pictures and
architecture, ritual life, economy, among many other subjects. At present, the collection comprises a
total of 40,000 historical illustrations from five continents, regionally dominated by documents from
Africa. The main part of this material was produced by specially engaged draughtsmen during the
numerous expeditions carried out by the Frobenius-lnstitut between 1904 and 1965.
The collection is composed of the following:
- 8,600 rock-picture copies, today considered rarities;
- a small format register subdivided into more than So topics (from "Architecture" to "Tattooing"),
mostly watercolor, pencil and chalk drawings, approx. 22,000 sheets;
- 8,700 large format pictures and drawings (oil, watercolor, gouache, pencil), some of them by
important artists;
- six smaller but very important special collections, among them the Georg Schweinfurth collection.
Contact: Dr. Richard Kuba: [email protected]; tel: +49 69 798·33056
Photo Archive
Online database: http://bildarchiv.frobenius-katalog.de/
The photo archive is comprised of approx. 60,000 pictures, taken by members of various research
expeditions undertaken from 1904 until the 1980s. Since the Institute has its own photographic
department and lab, most processing can be done in-house.
Contact: Peter Steigerwald: [email protected]; tel: +49 69-798 33212
Ethnographic Collection
The collection is composed of about 6,000 objects. The majority of them are objects from the sphere
of everyday-culture of African societies. Begun in the early 1970s, the collection has been enlarged
since the mid-1990s with objects from Northern Nigeria, Brazil and Papua New Guinea etc.
Contact: Dr. Holger Jebens: [email protected]; tel: +49 69 798 33048
Legacies
The Frobenius-lnstitut hosts the papers and scholarly legacies of several important ethnologists such
as Leo Frobenius, Eike Haberland, Karin Hahn-Hissink, Adolf Ellegard Jensen, Rudolf Lehmann and
Rüdiger Schott, as well as the archive of the German Anthropological Association. Furthermore
several historical registers are kept in the Institute such as the Ethnologlsche Exzerptur (approx.
90,000 entries) begun by Frobenius, the Archiv für Folkloristik/Mythologische Exzerptur, as well as
the Afrikanische Marchen und Mythenarchiv (AMMA) classified by 3.500 motives and compiled by
Hermann Baumann.
Contact: Dr. Richard Kuba: [email protected]; tel: +49 69 798·33056
Frobenius-Institut an der Goethe-Universität
Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Kohl (director)
Prof. Dr. Mamadou Diawara (deputy director)
Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1
60323 Frankfurt a.M.
Germany
Tel.: +49 69 798 33050
[email protected]
www.frobenius-institut.de
Company Profile – Wall AG
Wall AG. For Cities. For People.
Wall AG is an international specialist in street furniture and outdoor advertising and part of
JCDecaux SA Group, the number 1 in outdoor advertising worldwide.
Founded in 1976, Wall AG shapes the public space with future-proof street furniture,
collaborating with renowned architects and designers. Self-cleaning, handicapped-accessible CityToilets, waiting shelters, city information panels, functional pillars, kiosks and high-quality
advertising displays are manufactured in the company-owned production plant at Velten in
Brandenburg. Wall's street furniture products are provided to cities free of charge. The company's
investment is refinanced through marketing the integrated advertising panels. Up to now, Wall
has developed more than 28 different design-lines for the urban space.
Wall is committed to a "single-source-philosophy". Development and manufacturing, cleaning and
maintenance of street furniture as well as the marketing of advertising spaces rest exclusively in
the hands of Wall AG. Wall's products and services are distinguished by innovation, quality and
sustainability.
Wall's business model opens up new chances and spaces not only for partner cities, but also for
outdoor advertising. Advertising displays by Wall pinpoint the medial advantages: Wall premium
advertising panels are distinguished by their highly frequented locations in public squares and
streets, their eye-catching size and their convincing quality of exposure. Marketing focuses on
class, not mass: Wall relies on superior quality to speak for itself.
Since January 2011, Wall AG and JCDecaux Deutschland GmbH are jointly marketing their
advertising spaces in more than 60 German cities – including all of Germany's million-strong cities
– under the sales brand WallDecaux Premium Outdoor Sales as a division of Wall AG. WallDecaux
is the largest provider of advertising displays in City Light Poster (CLP) format across Germany. All
in all, Wall markets more than 91,300 advertising panels Europe-wide, including 6,332 advertising
panels on means of transportation like tramways, busses, metros and trucks.
Since the beginning of the year 2011, Wall AG's executive board is also responsible for the
management of JCDecaux Deutschland GmbH. Wall AG oversees 1055 employees in Germany and
Turkey.
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Exhibitions 2016
Exhibitions Martin-Gropius-Bau 2016
15 October 2015 - 31 January 2016
Germaine Krull - Photographs
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. An exhibition of the
Jeu de Paume in cooperation with the Berliner Festspiele / Martin-GropiusBau. Enabled by the Cultural Fund of the German Savings Banks and Giro
Association.
21 January – 16 May 2016
Art of Prehistoric Times
Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Collection
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. An exhibition of the
Frobenius Institute of the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. In
cooperation with the Martin-Gropius-Bau.
12 March – 6 June 2016
Günter Brus. Fault Zones
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. An exhibition of
Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and Martin-Gropius-Bau in
collaboration with the „BRUSEUM/Neue Galerie Graz, Universalmuseum
Joanneum“. Made possible by the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie.
With kind support of the cultural department of the country Styria and the
Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin. Curator: Britta Schmitz
19 March – 12 June 2016
Lee Miller – Photographs
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. An exhibition of the
Albertina Wien in cooperation with the Martin-Gropius-Bau and the Lee
Miller Foundation. Curator: Walter Moser
11 June – 18 September 2016
Thomas Struth
Nature and Politics
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau. In cooperation with
the Museum Folkwang, Essen, and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.
1 July – 3 Oktober 2016
Berenice Abbott – Photographs
Organizer: Berliner Festspiele / Martin-Gropius-Bau in cooperation with
diChroma photography, Madrid.
Curator: Ann Morin
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
Press office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
State: 09.12.2015
Berliner Festspiele
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Exhibitions 2016
21 October 2016 – 15 January 2017
Building with Timber – Paths into the Future
Organizer: Technische Universität München. An exhibition of the Associate
Professorship of Architectural Design and Timber Construction and the
Architekturmuseum der Technischen Universität München in cooperation
with Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ, supported by the German
Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), the German Wood Council
(DHWR), the German Association of Housing Enterprises and Housing
Cooperatives (GdW) and proHolz Bavaria.
12 April – 5 November 2017
The Luther Effekt
Protestantism – 500 Years in the World
Organizer: Deutsches Historisches Museum.
The Martin-Gropius-Bau is supported by the Federal Government
Commissioner for Culture and Media
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——
Martin-Gropius-Bau
Press office, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, T +49 30 254 86–236, F +49 30 254 86–235
[email protected], www.gropiusbau.de
State: 09.12.2015