On May 5th 2019, the Archive of the Academy of Arts at Pariser Platz 4, where the archive’s second main location is located next to Robert-Koch-Platz 10, will present itself with an Open Day. In addition to the reading room, a special library on modern art and part of the collection of paintings, it also houses the Baukunstarchiv, which houses an outstanding collection on German and international architectural history.
On the same day, the exhibition ” Erlesene Bibliotheken – Artists’ Libraries” opens, providing insights into the working libraries of famous artists.
Image above: Wilhelm III on his deathbed, 1840, Academy of Arts, Photo: Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk
The Open Archive Day on this Sunday provides an extraordinary glimpse behind the scenes of an art archive. The building can be visited from the magazine rooms to the reading room with a view of the Brandenburg Gate and the roof terrace. Employees from the architecture archive explain their work on the basis of plans and drawings.
In the restoration workshop, experts provide information on the conservation and safeguarding of the most diverse objects. Guided tours show the otherwise closed depots and workshops as well as the picture cellar where the legendary carnival parties of the master students of the East Academy took place.
Readings and lectures offer insights into the holdings of the library, architecture archive and art collection. A special attraction is a fashion show with students from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. They present theatre costumes from the archive’s rich collection. There is also a programme for younger guests. The actress Steffi Kühnert will read from the novels Ede and Unku by Alex Wedding and Emil and the detectives by Erich Kästner.
Exhibition Erlesene Bibliotheken – Artists’ Libraries
On the same day the exhibition „Erlesene Bibliotheken – Artists‘ Libraries“, Duration May 5th to June 16th 2019, Tue – Sun 11 am – 7 pm. The show focuses on the personal library as the preferred workshop and source of inspiration for artists. It provides insights into the working libraries of George Grosz, Heinrich Mann, Bernhard Minetti, Anna Seghers and Christa Wolf.
Places of knowledge, material basis of creative work – libraries convey the basics of our existence, in them past and future meet, their appropriation produces something new. For many artists, their own book collection is an important working environment, workshop and source of inspiration. Illustrated artist’s books, dedication and working copies illustrate artistic working practices, networks and preferences. Traces of reading such as paintings and commentaries testify to intense debate, dedications reveal artistic networks, and book inlays function as time capsules.
Selected from over 300 personal libraries, valuable books, unique specimens and rare books from the possessions of Heinrich Mann, George Grosz, Bernhard Minetti and Christa Wolf, among others, are exhibited. Among them are annotated copies, artist’s books, censored prints, bibliophilic works in small editions and samizdat productions. Pars pro toto, the show provides an insight into the extremely rich and publicly accessible holdings of the Library of the Academy of the Arts, which is one of the largest collections of books on modern art and culture in the German-speaking world with over 600,000 titles.
The complete programme for the Open Archive Day: www.adk.de/de/programm
WHAT?
Open Archive Day at Academy of Arts (Akademie der Künste) at Pariser Platz
WHEN?
Sunday, May 5th 2019
WHERE?
Akademie der Künste am Pariser Platz 4
10117 Berlin-Mitte
COST?
Free admission
