WEGBEREITERINNEN
YEAR | 2018
CURATORS | Lilian Hasler | Luis Hilti
LOCATION | Vaduz
INSTITUTION | visarte Liechtenstein | Kunstraum Engländerbau
WegbereiterInnen was an exhibition that tried to span the largest possible time span of contemporary art in Liechtenstein. We worked with all artists of the Art Association of Liechtenstein that were older than 70 years and whose oeuvre, in some cases, spanned over half a century.
To mediate the work that had oftentimes very little in common in terms of content and aesthetics, we designed and built a spatial structure from discarded wood. The white-cube space of Kunstraum Engländerbau was contrasted with a rawness and imperfection and gave the art pieces an unusual context.
We chose a contemporary and early work with each artist, often never exhibited before. A wide range of activities, including a panel discussion with Hansjörg Rheinberger, Anna Hilti and Robert Allgäuer on the development of the cultural realm of Liechtenstein, accompanied the exhibition.
In parallel to the exhibition, we developed the book "WegbereiterInnen" with the ambition to draw a picture of the emergence of the cultural landscape in Liechtenstein. Where did the first art exhibitions take place? Who pushed art forward in a predominantly agricultural society? And how did a cultural and art scene emerge in the rhine valley?
Luis Hilti and Lilian Hasler conceived the book, Wolf Studio developed its design, and Toni Büchel conducted the historical research. Barbara Bühler is the author of the photographs. The book was awarded "most beautiful book of Liechtenstein 2018".
