11. Oct 03 — 28. Dec 03
Hermann Glöckner
No exhibition venue today needs to justify why it is showing Hermann Glöckner; certainly not a municipal gallery in Dresden, especially one located in Loschwitz; and yet: the reopening of the historic Leonhardi Museum is at the crossroads of manifold expectations; what can this institution achieve, what should it avoid – which exhibition is best placed to chart the course we wish to take?
My wish to open the museum with a special look at Glöckner's work was immediately welcomed by the administrators of his estate; Rudolf Mayer finally had the compelling idea of examining Glöckner's work "for Dresden". Under the theme "The artist and his city", we are thus able to present an exhibition that brings together artworks from over 70 years of work, from the early landscape studies to important paintings from the 1920s and 1930s, from architectural art to independent sculptures for public spaces, and documents the often exciting process of their creation. We are not interested in making an ingratiating reference to the genius loci of this city - rather, it becomes clear how much Glöckner's art is based in the region, inspired by it and related to it. Here in Dresden, he developed his artistic identity without ever being jeopardised by provincialism. Just as he "tore art out of nature" in Dürer's sense in his early works, the universality of his work essentially grew out of the regional references. This aspect of the constitution of the universal from the regional should remain decisive for our work - we want to trace the manifold interrelationships between artists and this city.
Hermann Glöckner's work is rooted in the region, but points beyond it; it is diverse, but never arbitrary; unspectacular and economical in form and means, but rich in effect; it is a collection, not a distraction. In this sense, it can also be a claim for the work of our organisation.
This remarkable collection of early paintings and drawings would not have been possible without the generosity of public and private lenders; we would like to express our gratitude to them, as well as to the East German Savings Banks Foundation in the Free State of Saxony, in conjunction with the Stadtsparkasse Dresden, whose kind support has made this catalogue possible, and to the Saxon State Ministry of Science and the Arts. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr Werner Schmidt, Dr Christian Dittrich and, last but not least, Rudolf Mayer, who has been a constant companion throughout our preparations, for their fundamental work on the catalogue and their collaboration in preparing the exhibition.
BERND HEISE
