exhibition
from 18.10.2013 to 09.02.2014

Funktion / Dysfunktion

Contemporary Art from Glasgow

The idea of portraying dynamic centres of contemporary art led to the development of the exhibition Function / Dysfunction. Contemporary Art from Glasgow. It features six artists who live and work in Scotland's largest city, which has emerged as a vibrant and influential art hub in the period since 1990. Organised as part of the /prospekt/ series, the exhibition presents works created specifically for the facade spaces of the Neues Museum. As the installations are visible through the building's curved glass front, they also have a strong impact on the urban surroundings.

The title of the exhibition refers to the overarching theme that informed the selection of artists. Consistent with its location in a museum of both art and design, the show not only portrays aspects of the Glaswegian art landscape but also highlights an international trend for contemporary art to draw upon or incorporate design elements and applied forms of art, either by referencing design objects, integrating utilitarian items, working with industrially produced materials or employing craft-based or artisanal techniques.

The careers and backgrounds of the six chosen artists reflect Glasgow's evolution into an established art centre. Three of them – Martin Boyce, Claire Barclay and Mary Redmond – were born in the city or the surrounding area, while Nick Evans, Ciara Phillips and Nicolas Party belong to a slightly younger generation who came to Glasgow to study in the 1990s and 2000s. All six artists have created impressive, context-based installations that can now be experienced at first hand in the Neues Museum.