The freedom of assembly serves as the starting point for the group exhibition “1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 Art. 8 GG Assembly Freedom,” which will be on display at Villa Schöningen from October 3, 2020, until March 28, 2021.

The Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who commissioned architect Ludwig Persius to design Villa Schöningen, initiated a constitution in 1848 that legalized political assembly freedom. These decisions laid the foundation for our present-day constitution. Beyond political assemblies, there are various forms of gathering, whether in sports clubs, family celebrations, the art scene at the Venice Biennale, or in the digital realm. The location of Villa Schöningen, in the former border protection zone, offers a location-specific perspective on the exhibition theme in light of the 30th anniversary of reunification. The societal conflict potential and controversy of gathering are particularly evident in the midst of the omnipresent COVID-19 pandemic.

The works presented by the 14 artists span a period of about 50 years and explore different facets of assemblies in various ways. For example, Jörg Immendorff’s painting “Ende gut, alles gut” from 1983 seems to foreshadow the reunification of Germany. This historical event could have taken a different course without a physical gathering of people. On the other hand, artist Anna Ehrenstein, in her video work “Real Thomas Metzinger” from 2019, addresses anonymous digital gatherings and their influence.