Annual Report 2010 - Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Peter spreyer’s “Trabharnisch” (threequarter
armour) dating from 1546
The Kaisertrutz in Görlitz will be the venue
for the Third saxon state Exhibition
garments of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations, with some
objects dating back 300 years, is to be shown for the first
time outside Canada in this major exhibition. Translated
literally, potlatch means: “I give you something”. It stands for
a ritual festival of gift­giving through which the First Nations
on the north­west coast of Canada pass on their tribal history
and publicly announce social changes such as births,
name­givings, weddings, the inauguration of a new tribal
leader and deaths. The act of giving plays a key role in this.
Valuable objects such as ornate carvings, blankets and food
are publicly presented as gifts. During the distribution of the
gifts, a mystical ritual involving singing and dancing takes
place, with the performers wearing masks of their ancestors.
Only someone who succeeds in distributing everything is
regarded as the greatest and most important person at the
Potlatch. Those who are invited to attend are therefore not
only guests, but also witnesses to an event and they are
presented with gifts because they will corroborate the event
and tell others about it, thus keeping it alive. In collaboration
with Corinne Hunt, a member of the First Nations and the
designer of the gold medal for the Olympic Games in Vancouver
in 2010, the objects on display will be presented in an
impressive setting, enabling visitors to experience the atmosphere
of the great Potlatch festival in Dresden.
via regia – 800 Jahre Bewegung und Begegnung
3. Sächsische landesausstellung (via regia – 800 Years of
Mobility and Movement third Saxon State exhibition)
21st May – 31st October, 2011, Kaisertrutz in Görlitz
What makes people set out on a journey? Who leaves
their homeland, and why? Under the motto “800 Years of
Mobility and Movement”, this exhibition will present top­
Johann Friedrich Klemm
“Crown”, 1697
quality objects in order to vividly illustrate what life was
like on and around the via regia, one of Europe’s most
important trade routes. All along the via regia, there arose
powerful towns, trading places and churches, some of
which are still striking reminders of the heyday of the
ancient trading route. The exhibition will be taking place
in Görlitz, and the city itself is also a main focal point of
the exhibition. Görlitz is Germany’s easternmost city and
also has its most extensive historic conservation area.
With its mediaeval market places and numerous monuments
it was, and still is, an important stopping point on
the via regia. The main venue for the exhibition is the
Kaisertrutz, an imposing cannon bastion dating from the
15th century. Here, the five core themes of the exhibition
– Departure, Foundations, Markets, People and Exchange
– will be vibrantly brought to life through outstanding
works of art and media installations. In this exhibition,
visitors – whether they be locals or guests and tourists
from all over Europe – can learn about the historic legacy
and the specific features of this region. As well as looking
to the past, it will also point to prospects for the future.
erhalt uns, Herr, pei deinem Wort – Glaubensbekenntnisse
auf kurfürstlichen prunkwaffen und Kunstgegenständen
der Reformationszeit (“erhalt uns, Herr, pei
deinem Wort” – professions of Faith on electoral parade
Weapons and Art objects from the Reformation period)
28th May – 15th August, 2011, Rüstkammer and
Grünes Gewölbe, Residenzschloss
To mark the occasion of the 33rd German Protestant
Church Congress, and as a contribution to the Luther
Decade, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in
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