The opening of the exhibition of Karl Lagerfeld items is quite an event. Once more the Chipperfield Building — the New Bulding of the Folkwang Museum Essen — proves itself a remarkable location to stage such events.
Entitled Parallel Contrasts : Photography – Books – Fashion the exhibition does transpire the feel of a show : in essence, it comes across quite cool, and thus may be received as quite authentic in that it teaches us much about how Karl Lagerfeld keeps his distance. A core experience one should be prepared for.
One, and only one item will pop out which is an installation of his desk, his crayons, his pen (designed by him and firmly pasted onto the desk), his bookshelf, his books. It is the first object that is presented to the visitor at the entrance. No doubt, one doesn’t quite expect it. And it is the very item that does elicit a somewhat warm feel. The visitors will like it. No rocket scientist needed to predict that it will become the visitor’s favourite. Much to explore in it but then again it will remain the only object of some warmth. And yes, the crayons on display are his. He explicitly demanded for them to be kept very safe.
Bookshelf and Desk, with (french) Crayons — and a Pen, designed by King Karl himself :
Certainly, this will become the visitor’s favourite object of the exhibition.
We shall refrain from any further wordy-abstracts of what to see, and who-said-she-said stories on objects, (presumed) intentions and such — few images will suffice to deliver an impression to you what the exhibit is like.
In a darkroom, few Daguerréotypes, and some exciting Glass-Prints of, for instance Uma Thurman :
Uma Thurman :
Few sketches of current Haute Couture (2013/14), items and a few concepts of Fashion Show Stages :
Concepts of Fashion Show stages :
A caricature of quite some importance to the Germans — KL appears to care, one concludes …
KL Designs : German Books — all of KL’s books are printed by Steidl, of course !
An interesting item from which we learn how KL does pay tribute to Lyonel Feininger
and then again, Steidl : the printing agency (Göttingen, Germany); btw. Gehard Steidl himself supervised the installations at the Folkwang !
Few prints of photographies (dating early to late ‘90ies) :
‘Rolls Royce’ by KL (photographic fragments)
Steinberg Piano & KL-Design :
KL Design :
Impressive — well presented item that will attract the crowds, no doubt !
And finally, outdoors, there is KL on display — purple light band contour of King Karl shines through …
The opening of KL’s exhibit attracted media én masse. The show KL himself did put on was no disappointment. On the contrary. Sharp witted, extremely fast articulating as usual, he explained — and at that point it appeared a very honest statement in his german mother tongue — that he did not, yet, regard himself as being a serious enough character for the Folkwang Museum. He felt honoured, he stated. And it really did become obvious that he and Gerhard Steidl (supervisor and coordinator of the exhibit) paid a lot of interest to details — perhaps a bit to much, it seems, given that it lacks few more subtle warm touches. Apart from that, nothing much to complain about — the exhibit surely will become a very great success.
artis[z]t : m®e Art ? 