"Where are you from?" Depending on the context, this question can be problematic. However, it is central to provenance research. The 2024 collection exhibition shows how works come to the Kunstmuseum Luzern. Questions about the origin of a work of art are addressed, as is the expansion of the collection despite scarce financial resources. How do donations come about? What is a bequest and how is a permanent loan contractually regulated?
Jeff Wall, Restoration, 1993, large-format slide in light box, 136 × 508 × 26.8 cm, Kunstmuseum Luzern
The conditions under which works find their way into museums are as varied as the history of their creation. A work of art is often shaped by places and circumstances: the living conditions of the artists, the architecture of the exhibition space or whether it was commissioned or not. Provenance research examines the ownership of a work of art. The focus is particularly on works of art that belonged to Jewish families and were taken from them during the National Socialist era, whether through expropriation or a sale in times of need. The exhibition presents cases from the collection of the Kunstmuseum Luzern that have not yet been fully clarified.
February 24 to November 17, 2024
