Couven Museum

Anita Brendgens
2008-09-27 - 2009-02-01
In the context of the Aachen Art Route, the Couven Museum presents an exhibition of contemporary art which, rather than contrasting diametrically with middle class interior decor of the 18th and 19th centuries, actually fits harmoniously into the given ambience of the museum. Anita Brendgens forms objects of daily use from papier mâché and hangs them on thin threads so that they float freely in space. But the objects are never translated into the paper medium in their entirety; they always remain fragmented, emphasising in their non finito the fragility of the original objects. Fruit baskets, vegetable dishes, candlesticks, soup tureens and dishes, such themes of table culture define her work. Due to the whiteness of the paper, the weightless, floating three-dimensional elements gleam and transport the observer into a different, light-filled world more akin to a dream. The art of Anita Brendgens tells poetic stories of reminiscence and vulnerability, stories that find an appropriate setting in the Couven Museum.

Fascination and Myth of the Amber Room
2008-11-01 - 2009-01-06
The material amber emanates pure fascination. Throughout history, amber crafted into jewellery, decorative objects and objects of daily use has always been a symbol of luxury and power. Translucent golden-yellow and reddish-brown tones give this precious stone its characteristic appearance.
The famous Amber Room from the Catherine Place in Tsarskoje Selo near St. Petersburg, a chamber completely decorated with amber wall panels that went missing in the confusion at the end of the Second World War, is the stuff that myths are made of. Its singular preciousness and outstanding craftsmanship – it was hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” – and the mystery surrounding its disappearance ensure its status as an object of enduring fascination.
The Amber Room was crafted in Gdansk and Kaliningrad and originally intended for installation at the Charlottenburg Palace. In 1716 it was presented as a gift by King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia to the Russian Tsar Peter the Great. It was his daughter, Tsarina Elizabeth, who finally had the Amber Room installed in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoje Selo. During the Second World War the amber panels were transported to Kaliningrad, from where they were removed in 1945, never to be seen again.
In 1981 the “Amber Workshop Tsarskoje Selo” was founded in the former summer residence of the Russian Tsars for the purpose of reconstructing and restoring the Amber Room. In 2003, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the City of St. Petersburg, the reconstructed Amber Room was inaugurated in the Catherine Palace.
The exhibition presents the ambitious and at the same time highly sensitive work of the Amber Workshop. Icons, caskets, vessels, candle holders and other precious items are on display. These exhibits are accompanied historical images and documents. In the exhibition, a master of the art of amber carving performs smaller tasks before the eyes of the visitors, helping them to really understand what a difficult task the carving of this precious stone is, and what an incredible artistic and technical accomplishment the Amber Workshop has achieved. The exhibition is also accompanied by a film about the Amber Room and its Resurrection.

allure & mystery – The Amber Room
