current events
events
The kestnergesellschaft sees itself as a place of wide social debate on issues of contemporary interest. So literature, philosophy, music, theater, architecture, fashion, film and design all have their own place in our program alongside the exhibitions. There are regular dialogues and concerts which follow the idea of placing visual art in a wider perceptional and discussion context, and to complement and extend it through the perspectives of other disciplines. A film series was revived in August 2010.
kestnerdialogue
At our talks, readings or open discussions with artists there is always an opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the speakers.
Our guests have included the journalist Thomas Wagner (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), the architect Christoph Ingenhoven, the writer Isabelle Graw (editor and publisher of the journal Texte zur Kunst), the collector Michael Thun, the actress Oda Thormeyer, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, the Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn, the writer and journalist Claudius Seidl, Axel Hecht (publisher of art magazine) and the art historian Beat Wyss.
kestnerconcert
Contemporary art often encounters contemporary music at the kestnergesellschaft. Sometimes the music directly reflects the exhibition, sometimes the architecture is used by the musicians to produce sound. Occasionally the entire building is filled with music, as in our annual Fête de la Musique.
Concerts have been given here by Das Neue Ensemble, who opened the cultural program at the German pavilion at Expo 2000, the string quartet Quartett PLUS 1, Jessica Ron and Damian Marhulets.
kestnerfilm
Parallel to the exhibitions, films are shown which focus the ideas of the artists and the intention of the presentations in various ways. For example, Alexander Kluge’s film The Artists under the Big Top: Perplexed from 1968 was shown in conjunction with the exhibition LESS MALE ART by Elke Krystufek. For David LaChapelle’s exhibition we presented his film Rize in cooperation with the Hochhaus-Lichtspiele. The artist himself came to the screening and answered questions.
In addition, a film project with the Hanover-based director Franziska Stünkel (Vineta) was initiated in August 2010. The first part of this four-part project was Tell me their Story. Further film projects are currently in planning.
