Special Exhibitions and Cultural Program in October, November and December 2012

Special Exhibition

"R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007) Obsessions"

The first comprehensive retrospective show of works of the American artist R.B. Kitaj after his death has been on display at the Jewish Museum Berlin since 21 September. He was among the pioneers of figurative painting in the 1960s. Along with his artist friends David Hockney, Lucian Freud, and others, he heralded the dawn of the art of abstraction. Kitaj’s works are seen as cryptic, eclectic, and provocative. The Jewish Museum Berlin is showing around 130 pieces of Kitaj’s work from all periods of his extensive œuvre, bringing together loans from significant museums and private collections from all over the world. For the first time, the exhibition provides insights into Kitaj’s extensive private text and picture archive that served as a source of information for his works. The artist’s œuvre is presented in 13 chapters.

An exhibition by the Jewish Museum Berlin Foundation in cooperation with Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH.

Location: Old Building, first level

Admission: 4 €, reduced rate 2 euros

www.jmberlin.de/kitaj

Program accompanying the Special Exhibition "R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007) Obsessions"

Symposium "R.B. Kitaj: Artist from a Fragmented World" on 25 and 26 October

From the 1960s, R.B. Kitaj with his figurative style attracted the attention and appreciation of the London and the international art scene. Alongside the special exhibition "R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007) Obsessions," a two-day symposium will take place. The first day of the symposium entitled "R.B. Kitaj and the Heroes of Modernism" explores Kitaj’s innovative artistic contribution as draftsman, painter, and interpreter of his art. “Diasporic Art – At Eye Level with Freud and Kafka” is the title given to the second symposium day that will consider identity in the modern age, which became a major theme of Kitaj’s life and work. In his analysis of his own "Jewishness," he derived the idea and concept of a "Jewish" art from the experience of Diasporic existence.

Speakers: Yael Bartana, Isolde Charim, Michael S. Cullen, Anne Vira Figenschou, Eckhart Gillen, Robert Kudielka, Antony Lerman, David N. Myers.

Keynote speaker on the evening of 25 October: David N. Myers

A cooperation with the Berlin Academy of the Arts and the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Thursday, 25 October, 3 pm to 8:30 pm

Friday, 26 October, 10 am to 4 pm

Location: Great Hall

Admission free

Kitaj's 80th birthday on 29 October

"Kitaj for free" on the artist’s 80th birthday – admission is free of charge to both the special exhibition from 10 am to 10 pm and the documentary film "Kitaj…In the Picture" by Jake Auerbach (UK 1994, 40 min, English, original version) showing at 6 pm. At the age of 62 and after much hesitation, R.B. Kitaj allowed himself to be filmed by Jake Auerbach, the son of his long-time friend and companion from his years spent in London, Frank Auerbach. The result was a unique perspective on Kitaj’s life and work and his development into one of the most celebrated painters of his time.

10 am to 10 pm: Free admission to the special exhibition

6 pm: Documentary film Kitaj… In the Picture by Jake Auerbach

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium

Curator Tours

4 October:

Eckhart Gillen: The Obsessions of R.B. Kitaj

The curator will speak of Kitaj’s passions – for the collage of mementos from the "trove of human suffering," for the history of art from Giotto through Cézanne and Matisse to his friends from the "School of London" (Bacon, Hockney, Lucian Freud), and for Diasporism – a search for artistic clues under the conditions of modern existence beyond the support of nations, religions, and ideologies.

Location: Exhibition, 7:30 pm

Admission: 7 €, reduced rate 5 euros

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or: reservierung@jmberlin.de

18 October:

R.B. Kitaj’s Diasporist Manifestoes

"Will I become the Herzl (or Achad Haam) of a new Jewish art???" wrote Kitaj shortly before his death.

Like many other Jewish artists and intellectuals since the turn of the century, Kitaj explored the question of a Jewish art. But in his two Diasporist manifestoes published in 1988/89 and 2007, he was the first author to proclaim a new "-ism," Diasporism, and to choose the form of the manifesto.

The talk and tour explore the emergence of Kitaj’s Diasporic idea and compare it with other concepts of the Jewish in the visual arts.

Location: Auditorium and exhibition, 7:30 pm

Admission: 7 €, reduced rate 5 euros

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or: reservierung@jmberlin.de

Monday Movies

1 October:

Kitaj… In the Picture by Jake Auerbach (UK 1994, 40 min, English, original version)

Despite the productive openness exercised by R.B. Kitaj in the creation of his paintings, his reluctance to appear before a camera endured throughout his lifetime. "I am the least spontaneous person you can imagine," he said, borrowing from Degas. In 1994, he finally relented and allowed himself to be filmed by Jake Auerbach, son of his long-time friend and companion from the London years, Frank Auerbach. What followed is a rare and candid glimpse into Kitaj’s childhood, his works, and his development into one of the most celebrated painters of his time.

8 October:

The Red Shoes by Michael Powell (UK 1948, 133 min, English, original version)

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the same name, the film tells of a young dancer (played by Moira Shearer), who is torn between her desire to become a prima ballerina and her love for Julian, a young composer. "The Red Shoes" is a story about the struggle between love and art which encouraged R.B. Kitaj, as he said himself, "to fantasize about what it would be like to live a life as an artist." The film’s director, Michael Powell, had his portrait painted by Kitaj in 1973.

22 October:

The Long Voyage Home by John Ford (USA 1940, 105 min, English, original version)

"John Ford made a swell movie called ‘The Long Voyage Home’ about the loneliness of the seafarer," Kitaj wrote, "which still makes me cry as I approach 70." Adapted from four plays written by Eugene O’Neill and starring John Wayne, "The Long Voyage Home" follows the crew aboard the British cargo ship SS Glencaim on a journey from the West Indies to Baltimore during World War II.

Kitaj himself joined a Norwegian freighter at the age of seventeen, and often used Ford’s film to relate to the "loneliness of the seafarer."

5 November:

The Third Man by Carol Reed (UK 1949, 104 min, English, original version)

In Carl Reed’s iconic film noir, a young writer travels to Vienna where he is drawn into a web of suspense while investigating the mysterious circumstances of a friend’s death. Written by Graham Greene and with a cast that includes Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles and Alida Valli, "The Third Man" is still highly regarded today for its expressionist cinematography, soundtrack, and its depiction of shadowy post-war Vienna.

Kitaj credits "The Third Man" with influencing him to leave America and study art in Europe.

3 December:

The Sun Shines Bright by John Ford (USA 1953, 90 min, English, original version)

When Kitaj made a portrait of his favorite director, "John Ford on his Deathbed," he painted a still from "The Sun Shines Bright" on the wall above his bed. The film follows the story of a judge struggling to reconcile racial tensions in turn of the century Kentucky and to win a race for reelection against his rightwing opponent. Although "The Sun Shines Bright" did not enjoy great commercial success, John Ford often referred to it as the best of his own films.

The following applies to all events in the Monday Movies series:

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium, 7:30 pm

Admission free with seat ticket only (available at the cash desk).

Ticket reservation (for non-journalists) on tel +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or: reservierung@jmberlin.de

Opening Program of the Jewish Museum Berlin Academy from 18 to 24 November

Sunday, 18 November:

Colloquium "Hear the truth, whoever speaks it"

An introduction to the world and philosophy of Moses Maimonides – from Arab Spain to Berlin

The quote of the philosopher, legal scholar, and physician Moses Maimonides will guide and inspire the future work of the academy. In short talks, international scientists provide a glimpse into the culture of tolerance between Jews, Muslims, and Christians in medieval Spain, the Jewish and Arab philosophy of time, and their interactions as well as Moses Maimonides’ legacy for our time.

A keynote speech by Daniel Libeskind and contributions by Sari Nusseibeh, Sarah Stroumsa, Maribel Fierro, George Y. Kohler, Yitzhak Y. Melamed, Luke Muehlethaler and Claudia Roden.

Moderator: Peter Adamson

A cooperation with the Research Unit Intellectual History of the Islamicate World at the Free University of Berlin and Studio Daniel Libeskind, with the generous support of the "Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Stiftung Jüdisches Museum Berlin e.V." and the Center for International Cooperation at the Free University of Berlin.

Location: Old Building, second level, Great Hall, 10:30 am to 6 pm.

Conference fee: 10 €, reduced rate: 8 euros

Monday, 19 November:

Michael Brenner (Ed.): Geschichte der Juden in Deutschland von 1945 bis zur Gegenwart (The History of Jews in Germany From 1945 to the Present)

Panel discussion about the new book publication

In his book "Geschichte der Juden in Deutschland von 1945 bis zur Gegenwart" (The history of Jews in Germany from 1945 to the present), Michael Brenner presents a study that addresses the issue for the first time on the basis of intensive archival work.

The panel discussion with the editor, Micha Brumlik, Atina Grossmann, Julius H. Schoeps and Lala Süsskind, moderated by Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, presents this volume with its broad range of topics.

With words of welcome by Michael W. Blumenthal and Michael Meyer and an introduction by Rachel Salamander.

A cooperation with the Literaturhandlung, C. H. Beck Publishers, and the Friends and Supporters of the Leo Baeck Institute.

Location: Glass Courtyard, ground level, 8 pm.

Admission free

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or reservierung@jmberlin.de

Tuesday, 20 November, and Saturday, 24 November:

Architectours

Tours through the new academy in the Eric F. Ross Building

To mark the opening of the new academy, an architectural tour takes visitors around the re-designed hall of the former wholesale flower market. Visitors can witness first hand the house-in-house concept by architect Daniel Libeskind: The hall houses three cubes – an entrance cube, a library cube and an event cube – as well as other functional, restrainedly designed spaces in the large building. Use of the academy and the redesign of the square in front of it will also be considered.

Duration: 1 hour

Tuesday, 20 November, 3:30 pm and 5 pm and Saturday, 24 November, 12:30 pm and 2 pm

Meeting point: Meeting Point in the foyer, Old Building

Admission: 7 €, reduced rate 5 euros

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 305 or fuehrungen@jmberlin.de

Wednesday, 21 November:

My Love for Germany

Discussion in the series "Visions of Belonging"

"When I think of Germany in the night, I cannot sleep," Heinrich Heine wrote about his country in exile in Paris in 1843, swaying between ironic detachment and longing. Heine, who experienced exclusion from German society throughout his lifetime, is now one of the most translated poets of the German language and shaped the image of Germany both at home and abroad.

What image of Germany do German cultural figures have today? What do they value as positive? And how do their experiences and perspectives as a minority influence contemporary cultural life? Which works of German culture open up space for identification for them and their audience? Which new German narratives emerge today that reflect cross-cultural influences?

Panelists: Shermin Langhoff, Dani Levy, Nicol Ljubic, and Zafer Senocak; moderation by Isabel Schayani

Advised by DeutschPlus e.V. – Initiative for a Plural Republic

Location: Old Building, second level, Great Hall, 7:30 pm.

Admission free

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or reservierung@jmberlin.de

Thursday, 22 November:

Orchestra of Exiles

Film premiere in English original version

From his first performance in Palestine in 1929, the violinist Bronislaw Huberman worked on his vision of creating a Palestine Symphony Orchestra. After the rise of Hitler, his orchestra offered many Jewish musicians and their families the opportunity to escape the Nazis. Under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, the orchestra of exiles fought on its concert tours with its only weapon against the Nazi regime – music. To this day, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is amongst the world’s greatest orchestras. The Oscar-nominated writer and director Josh Aronson presents the European premiere of his film.

Location: Old Building, second level, Great Hall, 7:30 pm.

Admission free

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or reservierung@jmberlin.de

Further Cultural Program

11 October:

Inwardly Circumcised Jews. On Eduard Fuchs’ "The Jews in Caricature"

Book presentation

Eduard Fuchs was a cultural historian, highly esteemed by Walter Benjamin. In addition to an extensive, six-volume history of manners, he published "The Woman in Caricature" and most notably the richly illustrated study "The Jews in Caricature."

To this day, this collection remains irreplaceable for a history of antisemitism. However, Eduard Fuchs, who saw himself as a Marxist, is exemplary of the possible pitfalls and tragic mistakes that can be found among Marxists’ criticisms of antisemitism.

Micha Brumlik’s study of Fuchs’ "The Jews in Caricature" will be published in September by "konkret" Publishers – a controversial analysis that at the same time makes a large number of Fuchs’ cartoons accessible again.

Micha Brumlik and the publisher Hermann Gremliza will present the book.

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium, 7:30 pm

Admission free

17 October:

Dieter Graumann: "Nachgeboren – vorbelastet?" The future of Judaism in Germany

Book presentation with the author

Dieter Graumann is the first President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany who did not directly experience Nazi terror. He would not like the Jewish identity to be derived solely from formulae like "Shoah plus antisemitism." In his new book "Nachgeboren – vorbelastet?" he provides insights into his life and argues passionately for a pluralistic and vibrant Judaism in Germany: "What I would like to see here is a Judaism that will certainly never forget ... our history of suffering, but that will from now on cultivate with much greater intensity the positive dimensions of Judaism and become involved in all societal debates with creativity and initiative."

A collaboration with the Literaturhandlung

Location: Old Building, second level, Great Hall, 7:30 pm

Admission: 9 €, reduced rate 7 euros

Bookings at the Literaturhandlung on tel. +49 (0)30 8824 250

21 to 23 October:

Constantin Brunner in Context

International and interdisciplinary conference on the work of the German-Jewish philosopher and social critic

Constantin Brunner caught the attention of his contemporaries primarily with his major work published in 1908 "Die Lehre von den Geistigen und vom Volk," and his writings on the "Jewish question." On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth and the 75th of his death, the historical and intellectual dimensions of his personality, his culture and social criticism as well as his philosophical concerns – nearly forgotten today – shall be explored.

Sunday, 21 October, from 3 pm

Monday, 22 October, 9 am to 6:30 pm

Tuesday, 23 October, 9 am to 6:30 pm

Within the framework of the conference, Hanns Zischler will read from Constantin Brunner’s letters that will be published this fall by Wallstein Publishers in Göttingen.

With the support of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Sunday, 21 October, 7:30 pm

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium

Admission free

Bookings: brunner.conference@gmail.com
Further information at www.brunner.uni-goettingen.de/Tagung.html

22 and 23 October:

Museums, archives, and libraries are the custodians of our cultural heritage.

How much access to it do they allow and how can the digital options be used? Here the institutions have to strike a balance between their legal and financial possibilities which directly affects the self-image of the institutions. The role of initiatives such as Wikipedia and also the economy is becoming increasingly important. The aim of this international conference is to publicly discuss the possibilities and related issues with experts from the worlds of culture, business, and society.

Information on the program at www.zugang-gestalten.de
A cooperation with the Internet & Society Co:llaboratory, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, iRights Lab, the Open Knowledge Foundation, Wikimedia Germany

Monday, 22 October, 10 am to 6 pm

Tuesday, 23 October, 10 am to 6 pm

Location: Glass Courtyard, ground level

Admission free

29 October:

Which Religions are Part of Germany?

Discussion in the series "Visions of Belonging"

The religious landscape in Germany has seen considerable change – in a society shaped by Christianity, religious diversity is on the increase. This, however, is seen by over 70% as a cause for conflict. Western European neighbors are far more tolerant of Islam and other non-Christian religions than Germany, as a survey of the University of Munster showed. It reported that Germans speak out against new mosques and minarets far more often than the French, Danes, Dutch or Portuguese, and are also less willing to grant other religions equal rights. There is now even a ruling by the Cologne Regional Court that deems the ritual male circumcision illegal and thus restricts the freedom of religion. How should the relationship between the freedom of religion and the secular government be organized? Should Germany open up its religious and political structures?

Panelists: Petra Bahr (cultural officer of the Protestant Church in Germany), Stephan Kramer (general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany), Detlef Pollack (professor for sociology of religion at the University of Munster), Aiman Mazyek (president of the Centril Council of Muslims) and others, moderated by Isabel Schayani (journalist)

Advised by DeutschPlus e.V. – Initiative for a Plural Republic

Location: Great Hall, 7:30 pm

Admission free

Bookings on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or reservierung@jmberlin.de

8 November:

Yfaat Weiss: "Verdrängte Nachbarn"

The author Yfaat Weiss talks to the journalist Joseph Croitoru

Haifa in 1959 saw violence between Jewish immigrants from Morocco and the Israeli authorities which went down in history as the "Wadi Salib riots." Behind this well-known event in Israel lies a forgotten chapter of local history – an intact Arab neighborhood could be found in Wadi Salib until 1948 from which the inhabitants fled and were expelled in the wake of the war between Arabs and Jews.

Yfaat Weiss, this year’s recipient of the Hannah Arendt Prize, discloses the hidden stories of this district that were suppressed and buried by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Moderation: Marianne Zepp

A cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Hamburger Edition, the publisher of the Hamburg Institute for Social Research

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium, 7:30 pm

Admission free

13 November:

Witnesses of the Shoah

Discussion with Eugen Herman-Friede and Hellmut Stern

Eugene Herman-Friede was involved in the resistance against the Nazi regime in Luckenwalde from a hide-out from 1943 and now lives near Frankfurt. Hellmut Stern was ten years old when he emigrated with his family to Harbin, Manchuria in 1938. The world-renowned violinist has lived in Berlin again since 1961. Both speak about their memories at the event. They are two of the twelve survivors whose interviews are the focus of the new educational software for schools developed by the Free University of Berlin. The discussion will be led by David Dambitsch, writer and journalist for "Deutschlandfunk" radio.

A collaboration with the Center for Digital Systems (CeDiS) and the Free University Berlin.

Location: Glass Courtyard, ground level, 7:30 pm

Admission free

5 December:

Ist es Freude, ist es Schmerz? (Is it joy, is it pain?)

Jewish roots – German poetry

Book presentation with Iris Berben

"Ist es Freude, ist es Schmerz?" invites you to a reading adventure through more than 1,200 poems and biographies of over 300 German writers with Jewish roots. The editor Herbert Schmidt is known for his numerous publications on Nazi justice and Nazi racial policy. He has not only literary aesthetics in mind, but also a culturo-political intention with this anthology – to preserve the humanist heritage created by German-speaking Jews.

Iris Berben will read. With words of welcome from W. Michael Blumenthal and an introduction by Joseph A. Kruse.

A collaboration with the Literaturbüro NRW and the Edition XIM Virgines.

Location: Glass Courtyard, ground level, 7:30 pm

Admission: 8 €, reduced rate 5 euros

Ticket reservation on tel. +49 (0)30 259 93 488 or reservierung@jmberlin.de

11 December:

Jutta Schwerin: Ricarda’s Daughter

Book presentation with the author

In her new unsentimental yet empathic autobiography, Jutta Schwerin recounts her parents’ escape from the Nazis and their immigration to Palestine, the early death of her father, her childhood in Israel and her decision to move to Germany. In 1987 she is voted a member of parliament for the Green Party. Good-byes, new beginnings and encounters with impressive people such as David Ben-Gurion, Susanne Leonhard and Charlotte Beradt have characterized her life.

Moderation: Fabian Schnedler

In cooperation with the publishing house Spector Books.

Location: Old Building, ground level, Auditorium, 7 pm

Admission free