Exhibition
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart | from 6th of September 2024
Artist: Jeremy Shaw

Museum in Motion showcases large-scale installations, sculptures, and photo series from the collection of the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, as well as works from the Bundeskunstsammlung (Federal Art Collection), thanks to a recently established long-term strategic partnership. The works explore the evolving role of museums for contemporary art, posing the question of how museums must adapt to the challenges of the present and future.

The exhibition title suggests that museums are dynamic institutions that continually evolve. As society changes, so does art, reflecting the close connection between artists, museums, and their environment. A museum for contemporary art is an integral part of society, promoting cultural production and constantly adapting to technological advancements and demographic shifts. With this collection presentation, Hamburger Bahnhof looks to the future, actively addressing these challenges.

The collection presentation includes new works by Cevdet Erek, Elmgreen & Dragset, and Anne Imhof, made possible through the support of the Vereine Freunde der Nationalgalerie e. V. and generous patrons, as well as the newly established Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e. V. Additionally, Jeremy Shaw’s video installation Phase Shifting Index is being acquired for the collection on the occasion of this presentation.

Phase Shifting Index was created as a narrative anticipation of future social developments and fictions of possible future scenarios of humanity in the post-human age. The visual material of the seven-channel film, sound and light installation was shot by Shaw in the aesthetics of past recording technologies. People from different eras dance, perform ritual and cathartic movement sequences until a synchronous explosion of color and sound triggers the breakthrough into an unexpected digital transformation, synchronizing everything into a parallel experience of reality. A feeling of the suspension of time is created.

Voice Over: Peter Becker

Photo © Timo Ohler