Annual Report 2010 - Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

soon to be on view in Dresden:
various masks of the Kwakwaka’wakw
The Grand Dzonokwa and in the background
the view over alert Bay
Centre and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden,”
said Martin Roth. The exhibitions will focus on unique
objects which symbolise the tradition of social and economic
exchange. The culture of gift­giving is the constant
which these two very different cultures, that of the Saxon
court and that of the First Nations, have in common.
“This exhibition project is a very special form of international
cultural exchange. It is sure to attract numerous
visitors to Dresden and Alert Bay. I should like to take this
opportunity of welcoming the art of the First Nations to
Saxony in anticipation of the exhibition. Gifts have always
been an expression of respect. It is our desire to demonstrate
this respect towards the rich culture of the First Nations.
Finding out about minorities and their cultures and
understanding them as part of one’s own culture is an enrichment
for society. Conversely, Saxon art treasures will
enable the First Nations to gain an impressive insight into
Saxon court culture,” said Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich.
towards the future together
In mid­January, 2009 a cooperation agreement was signed
for a probationary year. The partners then tested whether
they could work together and in the end decided in favour
of cooperation: since 1st January, 2010 the Staatliche Ethnographische
Sammlungen Sachsen (SES) have been
members of the alliance that makes up the Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD). By coming together in
this way, the two sides are building upon a shared starting
point, for the Ethnographische Sammlungen, like the
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, have their roots in the
Chief Bill Cranmer, Prime Minister of saxony stanislaw
Tillich and Prof. Dr. Martin roth (from left to right)
signing the contract during the 21st Olympic Winter
Games in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010
Kunstkammer. Both institutions hold objects which were
part of that collection 450 years ago. The integration of
the SES, which has now been fully established, is directed
towards the future. From now on, the SES will share the
press and publicity, marketing and technical services already
used by the art museums of the SKD alliance, thus
benefiting from synergies and increased efficiency. The
same applies to cooperation in conducting research and
exhibition activities. What is of decisive importance,
however, is, above all, the substantial opportunities this
offers. The museums of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen,
which concentrate on classical Europe and the history of
western art, have been enriched by a shift of focus towards
the world beyond Europe. The objects of the Ethnographische
Sammlungen preserve the immense cultural
heritage of humanity. Placing the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen
within this context to a greater extent than
was the case in the past, and at the same time viewing the
ethnographical collections in Leipzig, Dresden and Herrnhut
in the interdisciplinary context of the Dresden
Kunstsammlungen, is both a challenge and an enrichment
in this age of globalisation. The first test in practice was
the intensive preparation in 2010 for the exhibition “Die
Macht des Schenkens“ (The Power of Giving); the first
public performance will take place in summer 2011 when
the exhibition will be opened in the U’mista Cultural
Centre in Alert Bay, Canada, and in the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau
in Dresden. At least behind the scenes, the cooperation
is functioning extremely well.
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