04.02.2016
Gemäldegalerie
A discussion being held for artists, “On the Value of Art”: Professor Bernd-Wolfgang Lindemann, director of the Gemäldegalerie, is hosting a discussion as part of the “Ecumenical Ash Wednesday for Artists”.
Archbishop Heiner Koch and Bishop Markus Dröge will be holding an “Ecumenical Ash Wednesday for Artists” at the St. Matthäus-Kirche at the Kulturforum on 10 February 2016 at 6 p.m. Joining them in celebrating an interdenominational vespers service and the marking of ash crosses will be Father Georg Maria Roers SJ, the Roman Catholic commissioner for the arts, and his counterpart from the Protestant church, Pastor Christhard-Georg Neubert. A sermon will be given by Archbishop Heiner Koch. Admission is free.
Accompanying the service will be music composed for contrabass clarinet and played by Theo Nabicht, Rolf Riehm, and Bernhard Gander. The organist will be Lothar Knappe. The same evening marks the opening at the St. Matthäus-Kirche of a Passion-themed exhibition, entitled “Passion”, by the Munich-based photographer Christopher Tomas and the Berlin artist Fritz Cremer, produced in conjunction with Galerie Schwind and Galerie Stehmann.
From 7:30 pm, guests are invited to attend the discussion for artists, “On the Value of Art” in the Gemäldegalerie. Speakers on this topic are the director of the Gemäldegalerie, Professor Bernd-Wolfgang Lindemann, and the managing director of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann. This will be followed by a meeting between artists and church representatives.
Ash Wednesday in Berlin has for years been celebrated as an interdenominational festival. It is hoped that the event will provide an opportunity to take stock of religion’s role within the art community, and for artists to meet the bishops and fellow artists – both those working within and outside the church establishment.