Artist Talk with Barbara Schulte Kellinghaus

In her action “Asyl für einen Totenschädel” (“Asylum for a Skull”), the artist deliberately violates borders which she has always accepted up to now. Surprisingly, she is daring to take a step into external space at the very point in time when the protective space of the museum is becoming increasingly important for the articulation of free democratic discourse. On the parking lot of the museum, she exposes her sculpture to another reality – the reality of the street, which adheres to other laws, narratives and perceptual modes than does the museum.

The marble skull is lying in the boot of the artist’s own box wagon car. Utterly exposed yet extremely self-confident, it shows us that in the end, art always reminds us of a truth with ultimate validity – the unavoidability of death. With her work, the artist achieves something that is almost impossible: She transforms the historical memento mori into a contemporary, highly relevant statement.

Frank-Thorsten Moll, the director of the IKOB will speak with the artist about how taking a risk is important when one wants to achieve such a statement – and about how artmaking in general should or has to be daring.

Discussion in German
Free of charge with a museum entry ticket.