“Kunst vor Ort” (Art on Site) offers pointed views of recent Bernese art history and, looking back, provides insight into the negotiated themes and focal points of the exhibition programme of the Stadtgalerie Bern curated by Beate Engel from 1999 to 2006.
In addition to personal reflections by former Minister of Culture Heinrich Gartenor on Bern’s art scene, theoretical embedding in the current discourse on space (art) by Konrad Tobler and Sybille Omlin, as well as statements by artists and conversations between project participants from Bern and other cities, the publication includes a detailed chronology of events, listing all exhibitions and events and the people involved: from the first studio days on the occasion of the opening in summer 1999 to the move to the PROGR_Zentrum in 2006.
An index of names makes it possible to track individual participations and to research the numerous, sometimes first important exhibitions of an entire generation of artists.
A Japanese-bound picture series with 33 double-sided colour illustrations with a border that falls away from the edges provides atmospheric Insight into individual events and gives room for the interspersed, slightly set-back text contributions and statements. The chronology that follows is compact and clearly arranged and has an illustrated header that facilitates access to the impressive list of events. In memory of the legendary invitation cards of the Stadtgalerie, Martin Woodli was invited to design a poster for the publication, which is folded and used as a dust jacket.