The exhibition intervention „Jeden Tag im Museum“ (Every Day at the Museum) presents the favourite works of the security staff working at the Kulturforum, in Dahlem, in Köpenick and on the Museumsinsel Berlin. Hardly anyone spends as much time with the objects at the museums as the security staff. Day in and day out, they protect the works, welcome visitors and develop quite individual relationships with the collections. Coming from the most diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of interests and experiences, they each have their own emotional, everyday view of the works. These views open multiple perspectives, which we would like to share with you in this presentation.

In the comments she made in reference to an ancient statue of a boy, Daniela Böttcher, head of security at the Altes Museum, stressed: “I’ve always had the feeling that the little boy needs to be taken by the hand and protected.” “Oil on canvas ‒ those are just materials. But the artist uses these materials to create a soul”, remarked Gerard Janssen, an employee at the Information counter at the Gemäldegalerie (Old Master Paintings), while looking at a portrait by Velázquez. “It reminds me of my home, formerly Yugoslavia, because such objects continue to be used there even now”, Amela Jusufovic explained while viewing a Sicilian cart at the Museum Europäischer Kulturen (Museum of European Cultures). The presentation allows many visitors to become aware of various personal insights and emotional ties to the works that they would have missed.

Exhibition Venues

The specially marked, collection-wide exhibition intervention features a selection of works chosen by the security staff from displays in the permanent exhibitions. Every Day at the Museum can be viewed at the Altes Museum, the Gemäldegalerie, the Museum Europäischer Kulturen, the Neues Museum, the Pergamonmuseum and the Schloss Köpenick.

Participating Collections

An exhibition intervention of the Ägyptischen Museums und Papyrussammlung, the Antikensammlung, the Gemäldegalerie, the Kunstgewerbemuseum, the Museum Europäischer Kulturen, the Museum für Islamische Kunst and the Vorderasiatisches Museum ‒ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

With contributions by the security staff: Daniela Böttcher, Michael Buchholz, Thomas Burghardt, Azzad Ismail Dhif, Klaus Fritzsche, Volkmar Gauger, Wladimir Gluchow, Jochen H., Gerard Janssen, Amela Jusufovic, Simone K., Johanna Lange, Christiane Lehmert, Mathias Menzel, Alina-Diana Mindrila, Harmut Peters, Sylvia Pflüger, Christian Pischel, Thomas R., Ollha Savielieva, Volker Schmidt, Thomas S., Uwe Teßmann, Jeannette Wolf, and others.

The special presentation was conceived by Lisa Botti and Catalina Heroven in collaboration with Jill Praus, developed as part of the event series “Weitwinkel ‒ Global Perspectives on Collections” and with the support of the project "Diversity as Narrative, Diversity as Reality" at the Museum für Islamische Kunst.

The project is supported by the Program 360° - Fund for Cultures of the New Urban Society of the Federal Cultural Foundation.