The Unboxing Experience

The Clemens Sels Museum in Neuss is not only a place with an art collection that is unique in Germany, especially in the art of Symbolism. It is also special that the history and present of the museum have always been the responsibility of women - from the founder Pauline Sels to the long-standing directors.

The starting point of the exhibition project “The Unboxing Experience” is formed by the more than 130 national and international female artists in the Clemens Sels Museum Neuss collection, whose works were previously barely visible or not visible at all. The journey of discovery and research into the female positions in the museum's collection is designed as a work in progress and is divided into two phases: Phase one begins on 12. Phase one begins on April 12, 2025 as an inventory with a presentation designed as open storage and brings paintings and sculptures from the depot, including works by Katharina Grosse (1961 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany), Marcia Hafif (1929 Pomona (CA)-2018 Laguna (Ca), USA), Séraphine Louis (1864 Arsy (Oise)-1942 Clermont (Oise), F), Filomena Robakowska (1902-1981 Witonia, PL) and Emma Stern (1878 Sankt Wendel, D-1969 Paris, F). From June 26, 2025, phase two will take a closer look at the museum collection and place selected works in dialog with works by contemporary female artists.

Following the successful launch of the two-part exhibition series The Unboxing Experience, the Clemens Sels Museum Neuss invites to Phase 2, Resonating Voices, opening on Thursday, June 26, 2025. For this phase, the curators have asked emerging international artists to engage their works in dialogue with pieces from the museum’s collection. The goal is to expand existing discourses and establish new points of emphasis. These encounters give rise to equal and reciprocal juxtapositions – Resonating Voices. Resonance – in the sense of echo, reflection, contradiction, or continuation – needs space in order to be heard. At its best, the museum itself can become such a resonant space.

 Featuring the invited artists:
Anna Bochkova (1995, RUS), Sara De Brito Faustino (1999, CH), Camille Dumond (1988, FR), Carolin Israel (1990, GER), Shannon Sinclair (1994, GER), Alicja Wysocka (1985, PL), with a special performance during the Long Night of Culture by Thi My Lien Nguyen (*1995, CH)

 In dialogue with works from the Clemens Sels Museum Neuss collection:
Irma (called Moucky) Christiansen-Lippert (1906–1997, GER), Sofia Doclean (1931–unknown, SRB), Vivian Ellis (1933, USA), Katarzyna Gawłowa (1896–1983, PL), Katharina Grosse (1961, GER), Maria Korsak (1908–2002, PL), Ludmila Prochazkova (1903–1984, CZE), Florica Puia (1920–1994, SRB), Anna Zomer (1899–1970, NL)

“The Unboxing Experience” is curated by Lara Bader and Marlene Kurz, scholarship holders of Residence NRW⁺ 2024/2025. In addition to the project for the Clemens Sels Museum Neuss, the two curators from Germany and Switzerland have been invited to develop and realize an exhibition with the NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein.

The project takes place as part of Residence NRW⁺, a scholarship program for artists and curators that cooperates with various museums, art galleries and art associations throughout NRW. Residence NRW⁺ is a program of the Kunsthalle Münster, an institution of the City of Münster, www.residencenrw.de.

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