What remains of an artist’s inner life? And what happens to an artistic legacy if no descendants preserve it or archives reach their limits? These questions are on the minds of many artists – because the concern that works will be lost contrasts with the growing importance of documenting and making visible one’s own artistic legacy.
The Kunstsalon at the Literaturhaus Halle will address these questions with Dr. Christin Müller-Wenzel (art historian), Dr. Roland Wiermann (Museumsverband Sachsen-Anhalt) and Dr. Ruth Heftrig (BBK Sachsen-Anhalt).
The evening will focus on the catalog raisonné of the works of painter and graphic artist Heinz Steffens (1913-1982), which was published by mdv Mitteldeutscher Verlag in December 2023. The comprehensive digital recording of his estate, which is being preserved by the German Foundation for Monument Protection and managed by the Museum Schloss Bernburg, marks a groundbreaking development: for the first time, an artist’s estate has been placed under monument protection in Saxony-Anhalt.
Moderated by Roman Pliske, the panel will shed light on the multi-layered significance of artists’ estates – between analog documentation and digital availability. The inclusion of works in the Saxony-Anhalt Visual Arts Database and on museum-digital.de means that they are not only visible to researchers and academics, but also reach a wide audience. How printed and digital directories complement each other and what challenges arise for museums, estate administrators and publishers with estates will be discussed on this evening.
Venue: Literaturhaus Halle in the Kunstforum der Saalesparkasse Bernburger Straße 8 – 06108 Halle (Saale), Grüner Salon
Date: Mon, 28.04.2025, 19.00 h
Admission: 10.00 €, 8.00 € reduced