1 day
Daily Tour
Unlimited
English, German
The Frankfurter Kunstverein, founded in 1829, is an important exhibition venue for contemporary art and culture in Frankfurt am Main. With a focus on the connection between art and science, the Frankfurter Kunstverein promotes interdisciplinary exchange and offers both a network for creative people and new perspectives on current social issues for a broad public. In its historic building in the center of Frankfurt, the Frankfurter Kunstverein is a central location for cultural encounters and innovation.
Our current exhibition:
The Presence of the Absent (12.10.2024 – 02.03.2025) revolves around existential questions of being human in the dimensions of space and time. All exhibits explore the idea of traces of an existence that are inscribed in matter.
Where do we come from? What is the origin of all matter on earth and in the infinity of the cosmos? What effects do natural events create that reshape the earth and change people’s lives with their power? And how do people deal with the existential need to face eternity in their finiteness? What myths and images do they create in order to connect with the spiritual? Is art a way of inscribing a testimony of oneself into time?
Works by important contemporary artists enter into a dialog with scientific exhibits from geology and astrophysics, with casts from Pompeii, with footprints of prehistoric people from Laetoli and with replicas of prehistoric cave drawings of human ancestors.
With: Heidi Bucher
Lawrence Malstaf
Marshmallow Laser Feast
Petra Noordkamp
Claudio Parmiggiani
Toni R. Toivonen
Archaeological site of Pompeii
Prehistoric Museum Florence
Natural History Museum Vienna
LWL Museum of Natural History Münster
Associazione Gibellina Parco Culturale
Luciano Rezzolla, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt
With the exhibition “The Presence of the Absent”, the Frankfurter Kunstverein is continuing its partnership with the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung for the third time. The Institute for Theoretical Physics at Goethe University has also been brought on board to shed light on fundamental human issues from the fields of art and science.
Arrival at the Frankfurter Kunstverein, introduction to its history, mission, and role in connecting art with science.
- Lunch at a local café - Workshop: "Tracing Human Existence" - Lecture: "Cosmic Origins and Humanity" by Luciano Rezzolla
Networking event at the Frankfurter Kunstverein
(Extended version of the tour)
- Artist Spotlight: Presentations by Heidi Bucher, Lawrence Malstaf, and Marshmallow Laser Feast. - Exploration of casts from Pompeii by Gibellina Parco Culturale team
- Lunch break - historic Römerplatz (optional) - "Art as a Testimony Across Time" Featuring Claudio Parmiggiani & Toni R. Toivonen. - Q&A with Petra Noordkamp
about the cosmos and human existence by Marshmallow Laser Feast.
Additional extension of tour
- Guided thematic tour with curators - "Reflections on Eternity and Finiteness"
- "From Prehistory to the Future – Continuity in Human Expression" by experts. - Closing remarks and distribution of exhibition catalogs.
Optional farewell dinner at a nearby restaurant to discuss personal insights and takeaways from the program.
Weapons or sharp objects Smoking Food and drinks Sprays or Aerosols Littering Firework Explosive substances Touching the exhibits Making fire
A visit to the exhibition takes about 1.5-2 hours. There are texts in the exhibition that explain all the exhibits. A more detailed visitor brochure is available on request for €3. All texts on current and past exhibitions can be viewed free of charge on the website of the Frankfurter Kunstverein. On the first floor there is video material to deepen the content of the exhibition.