Annual Report 2010 - Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

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Showcase with objects from the Dresden
Kunstkammer in the Neues Grünes Gewölbe
CHAMBERS OF CU RIOSITI ES
When the Electors of Saxony began more than 450 years
ago to collect all sorts of precious objects in their palace,
they can hardly have imagined what a unique history this
collection would one day have. In their “Wunderkammers”
(chambers of curiosities) princes sought to assemble all
the knowledge of their day as if in a huge walk-in encyclopaedia.
Exotic objects, delightful paintings and the magnificent
insignia of power were brought together there. In
the period when such chambers of curiosities were all the
rage, the prince ruled not only over the exercise of justice
and the conduct of warfare, but – in this age of Galileo
Galilei, Kepler and later Newton – he was also a driving
force for exploring the world. The prince was the representative
of God on earth, as creator of the world and as
inventor.
And although the collection has changed its character
over the course of its history and has grown to an almost
unimaginable 1.5 million objects, the amazement has remained
the same – that special sense of sublimity experienced
by the visitor at the sight of the shining splendour
and matchless quality of the works of art assembled in
Dresden.
I had the opportunity once before to speak to a large
audience about the exceptional nature of the Dresden
collections: that was at the opening of the Historisches
Grünes Gewölbe in 2006. Four years have passed since
then – four years in which this unique museum has de-
veloped into a veritable magnet for visitors. I am therefore
all the more pleased to be able to congratulate the
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden on their 450th
anniversary.
What is exceptional about these collections is that even
today they convey a realistic impression of how the history
of museums began with chambers of curiosities. The
rulers of the past aspired to represent the whole world in
all its diversity and splendour in such “Wunderkammers”.
They were not only interested in art, but also in science,
natural history and skilled craftsmanship. Elector August’s
wire-drawing bench, which was the first object on view in
the Anniversary Exhibition “State of the Art since 1560”,
was symbolic of this complex idea, combining artistic
design, practical application and courtly display. These
“Wunderkammer” objects constitute the core in which
today’s reality is rooted. It is here that we find the origin
of the supreme power of images, which – reproduced
million-fold by technical and digital media – now dominate
the world we live in.
Nowadays, directors of cultural institutions have assumed
the former role of the princes, and editors-in-chief are the
people who shape public opinion. At the same time, art
today means creativity. Today’s chambers of curiosities are
not only located in Dresden; it is mainly Google and Facebook
that have taken over their function. On the basis of
social proximity and interaction, contents and recommendations
are assessed as being relevant or not so relevant
and are precisely tailored to the interests of the individual
user.