By Michael Zöllner
Old masters in a new light! For its 25th birthday, the picture gallery at the Kulturforum was equipped with a new lighting concept. And a renovation is still pending. BZ was on site.
Lukas Cranach’s “Fountain of Youth” is itself getting old. In the work from 1546, old and sick women climb into the water and appear young and fit again on the other side.
This is also what you would like for the painting, because in some places it shows damage and gray discoloration that can probably no longer be restored.
The light is to blame. The building by the architects Hilmer & Sattler is designed as a daylight museum. The sensitive Old Masters were temporarily bathed in dazzling sunlight through the skylights in almost all rooms. Despite blinds and roller blinds. The light levels were too high, especially on bright days.
Too much light is poisonous for the works in the long run. And so the house was rebuilt over two years for conservation and ecological reasons. Around 7,000 square meters of glass roof area were covered with foil and only allow a constant 10 percent of daylight to pass through. LED lights were installed in the ledges, the light of which is reflected from the ceilings.
The paintings can now be individually illuminated using spotlights. The effect is indeed remarkable. On dull autumn days the pictures looked a bit dull without daylight, but that’s gone now. The costs were in the lower single-digit million range and were completely sponsored by Adolf Würth GmbH & Co.
But the house still has other construction sites. “After almost thirty years, the wall coverings have faded and you can see the outlines of the pictures that used to hang here,” says Dagmar Hirschfelder, director of the house. “These are signs of aging and dirt, but we also have vandalism in many rooms, the fabrics are scratched.” An extensive renovation of the entire museum is therefore planned for the future. Costs, duration and whether there will be closures – all of this is still unclear.
But first there will be a celebration next Saturday. Then entry to the exhibitions is free, there are guided tours, films, children’s activities and music. The theme of the festival is “Changing Lights”. Then art lovers will also see the light.
11/18/23, Matthäikirchplatz, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., ☎ 266 42 42 42