Theme for 2013: COLOR
The international exhibition program of contemporary visual art is another fundamental aspect of the cultural activities of the European Center for Art . The meaningful content and conceptual structure as well as the quality of the exhibitions also serve as an important point of reference for potential partners for artist exchanges.
Schafhof—An Ongoing Program of Art
The consistent artistic program at Schafhof is the basis for its strong audience loyalty, which is significant given the outlying geographical location of the institution. It is important that visitors have the opportunity to experience art every time that they come to the Schafhof. The carefully selected exhibition program is made possible due to the flexible use of the two exhibition spaces, the barrel vaulted space on the upper floor and the gallery on the ground floor.
Outdoor Sculpture Park
Another means of providing a range of cultural offerings at Schafhof is to increase the use of its outdoor space. Since 2013 the Schafhof has been expanding it sculpture park, which presents artistic interventions in the outdoor area surrounding the Schafhof. The works develop in dialogue with the surrounding area in conjunction with the European Artist Exchange of the District of Upper Bavaria or an exhibition project at Schafhof.
A Lively Mix
The exhibition program is guided by a range of considerations that take both the international reputation and local roots of the institution into account. Schafhof aims to present an exciting alternation of individual and group exhibitions that include artists from Freising and Upper Bavaria, international artists, well-known figures in the art world, and young artists reflecting a wide range of artistic genres. The European Center for Art welcomes all media in the visual arts: painting, graphic arts, sculpture, installation, photo, video, conceptual art, etc.
Selection Criteria
Important criteria for selecting participating artists are not only the quality of their works but their level of professionalism, commitment to their identity as visual artists, body of work as a whole, and their level of activity as artists. A jury decides on the composition of the exhibition program.
Why Annual Themes?
Choosing an overarching thematic topic creates a link between exhibitions and events. Exceptions to the theme are the exhibitions dedicated to the artistic exchange.
By engaging with and comparing various artistic strategies, positions, and media, the exhibitions offer a quality and depth of experience for visitors, sparking the joy of discovering and understanding art.
The Theme of COLOR
The theme running through most of 2013 is COLOR. The relevance of color in visual art is as obvious as it is complex. Beginning with painting, the notion of color takes on a significant dimension, namely as a working material . The appearance of color on a surface is naturally a reflection of light. The different visible (and also invisible) spectra of light play a dominant role in all genres of art based on visual perception.
One can examine color apart from form. Two- and three-dimensional forms are the structure of a work of art, which gains variability and a subjective quality through color. Longstanding questions come to the fore: Are black and white colors? Black is an absence of light. White is the combination of all visible spectra. Considering the idea of the Big Bang in relation to color allows us to consider that our visible world was created with color, i.e. with light, and through art it is constantly being recreated.
Eike Berg, 2012
