What's on at Europe's Museums
June 23, 2003
"Marlene Dietrich, Creation of a Myth"
Musee Galliera, Paris, France
She was a film star and fashion icon. Her unique elegance has been often imitated but never equaled. Like Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) knew how to set herself in the scene, indeed, make herself the center of the scene. And her clothes, jewelry and accessories were just as much a part of the making of a legend as her sultry voice. The Musee Galliera in Paris sets out to celebrate the film diva’s fashion flair, going to the very fabric of what made Marlene Dietrich a star. On display are over 250 items worn by Marlene on screen and in private between the 1930s and the 1970s, and include creations by top-name designers such as Dior, Chanel and the men’s tailor Knize. The models on display show Marlene’s impact on fashion style from icy erotic to ambivalent androgynous to femme fatale. The exhibition, the first ever French retrospective on the German-born star, was organized in collaboration with the Berlin Filmmuseum.
Until October 12, daily 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., except Mondays
Sky High: Vertical Architecture
Summer Exhibition 2003, Royal Academy of Arts, London
London’s Royal Academy of Arts has set its sights high for this year’s summer exhibition. Bringing together paintings, sculptures, drawings and architectural models by many of the most distinguished artists and architects, the contemporary art show focuses on skyscrapers, high rises and other tall buildings. The show’s curator and the UK's star architect Sir Norman Foster brings his expertise into play and directs the visitor through a dizzying display of projects and sketches by colleagues Renzo Piano, Nicholas Grimshaw, Richard Rogers, Charles Correa and Jean Nouvel, to name a few. And to give the exhibition a historical backdrop, the contemporary designs are set against the staggering heights of the Seagram Building, the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower. The visitor will be awed by the "torrent of towers" offering a rare insight into the whole spectrum of architectural creativity, say the show’s organizers.
Through August 10, daily 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Fridays until 10:00 p.m.
From Runge to Menzel: 100 Master Drawings
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
100 drawings by German artists from the 19th century are on display this summer at the Hamburger Kunsthalle’s Kupferstichkabinett. The exhibition covers a wide spectrum from the Romantic period with its religious motives to the art of Realism and early Symbolism on into Expressionism. Works by such important artists as Caspar David Friedrich, Philipp Otto Runge, Adolph von Menzel, Carl Spizweg, Anselm Feuerbach and Max Liebermann provide the viewers with an understanding of German art and culture. At the end of August, the drawings will travel to Athens, Greece, for the Cultural Olympics 2003, where they will be on display at the National Gallery of Athens.
Until August 17, Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Thursdays 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Camille Claudel
Palazzo Magnani, Reggio Emilia, near Modena, Italy
Her relationship with the sculptor Auguste Rodin might have made her famous, but Camille Claudel’s (1864-1943) artistic creations can stand on their own. The original sculptures, passionate and symbolically evocative, were long subordinate to those of her more renowned mentor and lover Rodin. But the Palazzo Magnani has found the creations by the French sculptress worthy of a separate exhibit. Until the end of August, visitors to the historical Italian palazzo in the province of Reggio Emilia can view 50 works by Claudel as well as 14 sculptures and 37 erotic drawings and watercolors by Rodin depicting the strikingly beautiful Claudel, who the Frenchman referred to as his "eternal idol."
Until August 31, daily 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays also open from 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., closed Mondays.