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24.04.2020
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and Contemporary Art Limited have agreed that the loan contract concluded in 2003 for the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection, which is currently presented at Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin, part of the Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, will expire on 30 September 2021.
After the inaugural exhibition in 2004 ‒ on view throughout Hamburger Bahnhof’s entire exhibition space and its adjacent Rieckhallen galleries ‒ Nationalgalerie (National Gallery) curators mounted up to three exhibitions annually with works from the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection, accompanied by catalogue publications. These included exhibitions on Wolfgang Tillmans, Bruce Nauman, Martin Kippenberger and Roman Signer, as well as extensive thematic presentations on art since the 1960s (Fast nichts, 2005; Jenseits des Kinos, 2006; there is never a stop and never a finish, 2007; Ich kann mir nicht jeden Tag ein Ohr abschneiden, 2008; Architektonika, 2011; moving is in every direction, 2017; Local Histories, 2018).
Works from the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection were also integrated into other exhibitions at Hamburger Bahnhof and the Neue Nationalgalerie (Die Kunst ist super!, 2009; Ausweitung der Kampfzone, 2013). In 2015 some of Friedrich Christian Flick’s gifts to the Nationalgalerie were exhibited in A Few Free Years in Hamburger Bahnhof’s main hall and its Rieckhallen galleries. Magical Soup, the collection presentation and accompanying catalogue planned for late summer, presents works of media art from the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection , et al.
Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK) President Hermann Parzinger: “I regret that we are unable to continue our collaboration with Friedrich Christian Flick. The SPK and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin are greatly indebted to him, for we look back on an extremely fruitful partnership extending over the past 17 years. Hamburger Bahnhof has become an internationally recognised hotspot for contemporary art, thanks also to the interplay between the outstanding Flick Collection and Nationalgalerie Collection. This venue will continue to be systematically developed in the coming years.”
Michael Eissenhauer, Director General of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: “Since September 2004, the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection has been on display as a long-term loan in the Rieckhallen galleries, sharing the space with Hamburger Bahnhof and the Nationalgalerie. The collector provided the necessary funding for the Rieckhallen to be redesigned for the presentation of his collection. The opening of the first exhibition drew great public and political attention on 21 September 2004. It was a genuine sensation when the collector Friedrich Christian Flick presented two generous gifts consisting of 268 major works of contemporary art to the Nationalgalerie in 2008 and 2014. These included exceptional works by international artists such as Absalon, David Claerbout, Stan Douglas, Dan Graham, Rodney Graham, Candida Höfer, Paul McCarthy, Jason Rhoades, Pipilotti Rist, Anri Sala, Thomas Schütte, Diana Thater and Franz West. The Nationalgalerie’s collection now contains entire groups of works by these artists. In addition, central works or groups of works by Nathalie Djurberg, Brian O'Doherty, Peter Fischli / David Weiss, Katharina Fritsch, Raoul de Keyser, Manfred Pernice, Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth and others have been added to the collection. These unforgettable and magnanimous gestures will remain a part of the Nationalgalerie ‒ and therefore of Berlin as well!”
Udo Kittelmann, Director of the Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: “The consequences of the news that the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection, one of the world’s preeminent international collections of contemporary art, will be leaving Berlin cannot be fully grasped at this time. The staff of the Nationalgalerie and I feel an acute sense of sorrow over this loss.