The Villa Planta, in which the Bündner Kunstmuseum is located today, was once built as a private residence. Starting from the original use of this house the Bündner Kunstmuseum has invited artist Vaclav Pozarek who lives in Bern, to install his art project “Library of Sculpture” (LOS) here, and to define the formerly private character of the rooms in a new way with his personal collection on the history of sculpture.

The artist, born 1940, has primarily become known through his sculptural work. This combines constructivist and conceptual elements with a frame of reference, which playfully dispels an all too strict logic and classification. Less well known is his magnificent archive on sculpture from antiquity to the present, which is at the centre of the exhibition at the Bündner Kunstmuseum, and which is presented here for the first time. Vaclav Pozarek has compiled this voluminous collection over many years. It not only places his own art in a larger framework, but establishes an actual “musée imaginaire” of sculpture.

For the “Library of Sculpture” Vaclav Pozarek builds a spacious library with all the associated facilities on the first floor of the Villa Planta. His sculptural furniture creates a space-filling installation. On shelves, tables, lecterns and pedestals the artist spreads out his collection of books and photographs. Parallel to this he shows his own works relating to this context as well as models and drawings referring to a fictitious institution completely dedicated to sculpture. Therein a comprehensive concept of sculpture manifests itself, which brings together contrasting attitudes and languages of expression. Thus it contradicts modernism’s clear systems and ideals and confronts it with an open system of reference.

To accompany the exhibition there is a book publication with numerous characteristic heads from the history of sculpture – according to Vaclav Pozarek’s radical subjective view. A supplementary booklet with pictures and essays documents the backgrounds of his unique artist’s library.

Concurrently:
New Hanging of the Collection
The Bündner Kunstmuseum has works in its collection from all areas of visual arts from the 18th century up to the present. They are mostly works by Swiss artists as well as by international artists with a bearing on Graubünden. In connection with the installation of the “Library of Sculpture” in the Villa Planta the collection is being freshly hung and shown in a representative selection together with new acquisitions.
Weavings.
Drawings from the Collection
Starting with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s rug design „Das Leben“ the Bündner Kunstmuseum for the first time shows a larger number of drawings and works on paper from its collection and thus interweaves works from different periods as well as topics of different (real-life) contexts.

Opening: Friday, February 17 at 6 pm

Publication
LOS. Vaclav Pozarek. Library of Sculpture, with texts by Stephan Kunz and Max Wechsler, Zürich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 128 pages, ca. 85 illustrations