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Brief history of the Kuenstlersonderbund
Fritz-Peter Hoppe, Chairman of the executive committee 1999-2007
The founding of the 'Kuenstlersonderbund in Deutschland' (Special
Artist Guild in Germany) in April 1990 was essentially a secession
from the 'Deutscher Kuenstlerbund'. Many members of the guild whose
work was objective-figurative rather than non-objective felt that
they were not being adequately and suitably represented.
As a result, Manfred Bluth, then professor of fine arts in Kassel,
took the initiative and together with other artists whose work
demonstrated the same high quality, continuity and originality –
Giesela Breitling, Tremezza von Brentano, Johannes Gruetzke and
Ludmilla Seefried-Matêjková – founded the Berlin-based 'Kuenstlersonderbund'.
Its main objective was to institute an independent and creative
forum as a means to better inform the media and increase public
awareness of realism as a legitimate constituent of modern art.
In 1993 and 1996 the guild held two major exhibitions in the
Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin. Starting in 2001 annual showings were
held in the Kommunale Galerie in Berlin-Wilmersdorf. Efforts to
further public awareness were supplemented in 2002 by a pamphlet
called 'Galerie' which is published semi-annually and serves as a
forum for commenting on issues related to realistic art.
On the future objectives of the Kuenstlersonderbund
Christoph Wetzel, Chairman of the executive committee 2007 – 2008
The 'Kuenstlersonderbund in Deutschland e.V.' is a national
association of more than one hundred artists whose work is
traditionally objective-figurative realism. Founded in 1990, it was
originally conceived as a secession from the 'Deutscher
Kuenstlerbund' but today assumes a unique position.
As early as 1903 the 'Berliner Secessionists' under the leadership
of Max Liebermann and Lovis Corinth sought to differentiate
themselves artistically from the academic tradition as well as
support younger artists who would later became the Expressionists.
In an age flooded by images from the media, realism is neither a
rigid principle for the artists of the Kuenstlersonderbund, nor a
limiting theory but rather high regard for life itself, reality that
can be personally experienced. High standards of artistic and
technical expertise within a 'readable' pictorial language are the
common denominators which unify the diversity of styles among these
artists. It is this fundamental precept which makes this association
unique to Germany.
The logo and motto 'Est Modus in Rebus' of the Kuenstlersonderbund
refer to the maxim that 'there is a proper measure in things',
certain limitations as opposed to the limitlessness and anonymity
evi-denced in the art scene today.
The Kuenstlersonderbund is a non-profit organization that also has
about 120 members who regularly sponsor the activities of the
association. At the end of each year sponsors are presented with a
limited-edition, signed engraving by an artist in recognition of
their support.
The dialogue on contemporary realism will continue to be advanced in
annual exhibitions, talks with artists in their studios and in the
information-pamphlet 'Galerie' published semi-annually. In 1993 and
1996 the Kuenstlersonderbund held two major showings in the
Martin-Gropius-Bau as well as 2006 in the 'Museum for Communication'
in Berlin. In the future, however, annual showings of the
Kuenstler-sonderbund will not only be held in Berlin, as they have
been previously, but nation-wide as well. |
