Durchgeknallt und abgebrannt. Feuerwerkskünste aus fünf Jahrhunderten

In the organizer's words:

Fireworks are an art of the moment, of which nothing remains but beautiful memories and a lot of garbage. For centuries, it has been the most material-intensive and expensive art form of all. Today we know: The waste and ecological madness behind the beautiful moment are not sustainable. But what do we know about the development of firework art, its strongholds, its media and political significance? And what does the future of this art form look like? In the exhibition "Durchgeknallt und abgebrannt", the Kunstbibliothek is looking for answers together with its collection objects, contemporary artists, the public and actors from science and environmental protection.

At the center of the exhibition "Durchgeknallt und abgebrannt" is a never-before-seen part of the Art Library's collection from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries: Over 70 copperplate engravings, some of them large-format, as well as around 40 historical books that provide information on the development of fireworks for war and festive purposes. The potential for discussion that unfolds between the festive beauty and the warlike madness of pyrotechnics is a challenge to exhibit these treasures over the turn of the year. The exhibition is enriched by loans from the network of the National Museums in Berlin, the Ethnological Museum, the Gemäldegalerie, the Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, the Kupferstichkabinett, the Museum of Asian Art, the Museum of European Cultures, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Photography Collection of the Art Library and the Rathgen Research Laboratory.

Fiery spectacles

The exhibition begins with a look at the global history of fireworks and then turns to the European courts of absolutism as hotspots where fireworks could unfold across the entire spectrum between genius and madness. The protagonists from Versailles, Vienna, Munich and Dresden outdid each other with martial seriousness, stately claims to representation and media-effective waste of resources. The copperplate engravings on display bear witness to a pyrotechnical arms race between the courts. Peace resolutions, anniversaries, declarations of alliance, births, weddings and christenings were welcome occasions to make a lasting impression with artificial and instantly fading celestial spectacles.

Artistic fascination

The art of fireworks is a genuinely interdisciplinary art form. Each firework display was the result of months of collaboration between architects, set designers, pyrotechnicians, choreographers and musicians. The so-called 'art of war' was also involved. Firework treatises such as "De la Pyrotechnia" (1540) by Vanoccio Biringuccio or the "Halinitro-Pyrobolia" (1627) by Josef Furttenbach were created on the basis of military knowledge. And finally, the copper engraved depictions of fireworks were an art in themselves. Long before the invention of film, visual artists were performing cinematic wonders. They captured the sensations of a full-length fireworks display in a single image: fire wheels, burning lettering, gushers, water bombs, rockets, fireballs, girandoles, choreographed battles on water and land.

Total waste

Europe and its absolutist rulers perfected the theatrical and architecturally elaborate firework display. The Baroque penchant for deliberate economic madness and spectacular waste culminated in the art form of fireworks. Entire castles, temples, fortresses, ships and specially created monsters were built and burnt down. In early February 1637, Claude Lorrain captured the events surrounding the coronation of Ferdinand III as "King of the Romans" in several engravings: a castle on a square ground plan explodes, revealing a round tower. This in turn flies into the air and the equestrian statue of the King of the Romans appears.

Pyrotechnics in contemporary art

Selected works by Malte Bartsch, Daniel T. Braun, Cai Guoqiang, Sandra Kranich, Roman Signer and Michael Wesely contrast the historical engravings in their own unique way. Whether witty or overwhelming, ironic or destructive: the bursting, eruptive power of fire manifests itself in a variety of forms.

Exhibition as a space for discourse and events

The exhibition space will also be a platform for events. Talks, guided tours, films and discussions amidst the works offer the opportunity to critically examine an ambivalent art form. What is the future of fireworks? What can be learned from the history of fireworks? What impact do conventional fireworks have on our environment? How can the magic and the experience of a special moment be captured in pictures in the long term? What alternatives are there to burning fireworks and what do creative, avant-garde solutions look like worldwide? An extensive program of events approaches questions about the future of fireworks from different perspectives.

Publication accompanying the exhibition

The exhibition is accompanied by a magazine (brochure, 96 pages, 10 euros) with large-format illustrations about the ambivalence of beauty and destruction, the proximity of celebration and war and the power of media products. In collaboration with Deutsche Umwelthilfe, the magazine explores the potential of historical collections for future social negotiations.

Curator

The exhibition is curated by Maren Wienigk, Head of the Architecture and Ornamental Engraving Collection of the Art Library.

Partners of the exhibition are the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and the Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Chinesischen Kulturellen Austausch e. V. (GeKA)

A special exhibition of the Kunstbibliothek - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin