Exhibitions

One wish is always left unfulfilled

Kasper König takes stock

A collection is like a living organism that expands, changes, and reacts to its surroundings. A collection is never complete. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that after his twelve-year-tenure at the Museum Ludwig plenty of Kasper König’s wishes remain unfulfilled – although many did come true over the last few years. A number of his fulfilled wishes are included in the upcoming exhibition. Starting on June 2, 2012 the Museum Ludwig’s entire second floor will display a very personal selection by the director. This venue will document Kasper König’s and his staff’s collecting activities, and it will illuminate the interrelationship between purchases, the existing collection, and special exhibitions. Comprised of about 80 objects – of the roughly 2,000 works that were acquired since Kasper König assumed his office at the Museum Ludwig – the exhibition can be seen as the quintessence of his achievements since he arrived twelve years ago.

In November 2001 Kasper König opened the show "Museum of Our Wishes," which clearly focused on the Museum Ludwig's collection. He brought approximately 120 works to the museum and used silver labels to indicate that he desired them for the collection. With the aid of supporters and sponsors - especially thanks to the Peter und Irene Ludwig Stiftung - he managed to mark most of the objects with golden labels, indicating that his wish had been fulfiled. This also clarified the collection's strength and its potential for further development. For over twelve years now, Kasper König has furthered and unerringly developed the Museum Ludwig's collection. The same issue has always formed the core of his curatorial work: How can temporary exhibitions serve to further develop the permanent holdings and how can the collection stimulate new special exhibitions? This is the enduring case for his ultimate presentation, whose title is to be understood as a programmatic sacrifice, because one wish will always remain.

The exhibition “One wish is always left unfulfilled” will feature works by such artists as Pawel Althamer, Thomas Bayrle, Sister Corita, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Isa Genzken, Poul Gernes, Mike Kelley, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Zoe Leonard, Gustav Metzger, Matt Mullican, Cady Noland, Stephen Prina, Manfred Pernice, David Shrigley, Rosemarie Trockel, Franz West, Christopher Wool, and Heimo Zobernig. On Saturday, October 13, 2012, Museum Ludwig will farewell Kasper König with a celebration at the museum and a concert in the Kölner Philharmonie. Further information about the program will be available shortly at www.museum-ludwig.de. Furthermore, a publication looking back at Kasper König’s time as the director of Museum Ludwig will be published on that occasion.

Kasper König

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Additional current Exhibitions

• Modernist Masterpieces. The Haubrich Collection at Museum Ludwig
• Gerhard Richter. Elbe, November, and Other Works
• Saul Steinberg. The Americans
• Phil Collins. In every dream home a heartache
• Andrea Fraser. Wolfgang-Hahn-Prize 2013
• Kathryn Andrews. Special Meat Occasional Drink
• Jo Baer