EXHIBITION

AUGUST MACKE 1887–1914

While an annex was being built onto August Macke’s former home and studio in the year 2017, a newly conceived interactive, multimedia-based exhibition on the life and work of the artist was installed in the 14 small and intimate rooms distributed throughout the four stories of the house.

In these original locations the exhibition relates the fascinating story of Macke's life, his family, his artistic evolution, and his involvement in the art politics of his time - against the background of the Wilhelmine Empire.

Surrounded by more than 100 original artworks, numerous memorabilia, furniture, and documents related to August Macke, visitors can immerse themselves in the domestic atmosphere of an important artist family and experience the exciting era of cultural upheaval and radically new attitudes toward art at the end of the 19th century – supported by modern media and presentation technology. 

Great care has been taken to authentically present the former living quarters on the first floor of the home, whose structure has remained unchanged. The remaining rooms focus on various themes in connection with the life and work of the multi-talented artist and art advocate while illustrating the many different facets of his life.

FLOOR PLANS

You can download the floor plans of August Macke's former home and studio here.

[Translate to Englisch:] NRW-Stiftung

We wish to express our thanks to the
NRW-Stiftung for financing the exhibition
in August Macke's home and studio.

[Translate to Englisch:] Audioguide zur Ausstellung

Audio Guide to the Exhibition
The audio guide offers visitors supplementary information in German and English. Use of the audio guides, which are provided at the ticket desk, is included in the admission price.

  • Let August Macke’s wife Elisabeth take you on a tour of the house while describing everyday life with the artist from her own perspective. The numbers on the device correspond to those on the central wall texts in each room.
  • Supplementary information on individual objects may be selected by way of the respective numbers displayed there.
  • Excerpts from the artist’s letters and reports from his friends and companions may be dialed under the numbers next to the separately displayed object-tags.
  • The yellow symbols in each room designate the information for children, spoken as August Macke.

The Garden
The colorful Museum Garden recalls what was once the huge and very diversified garden that originally extended behind Macke's home and studio and provided the artist with an abundance of motifs. It was designed and planted in accordance with Macke's garden paintings and offers Museum visitors a tranquil and relaxing oasis in the heart of downtown Bonn.

[Translate to Englisch:] Film: August Macke. Eine Reise durch sein Leben 1887 – 1914

Film: August Macke – A Journey through His Life 1887–1914
The film guides us through August Macke's life and artistic development. Highlights are his visits to Paris, Tegernsee, Lake Thun, and Tunisia, which strongly influenced his work. The original locations are shown together with the matching works of the artist. The film is on continuous showing in the event room of the Museum (ground floor of the modern annex).

A Film by Werner Reaune 
Created in cooperation with Ina Ewers-Schultz and Klara Drenker-Nagels 
Camera: Rafael Huy, Editor: Christoph Perzl, Length: 31 minutes 
Museum August Macke Haus © 2017

The film may be purchased as DVD in the Museum Shop!

Imprint Home and Studio

Project management: Klara Drenker-Nagels
Idea and concept: Klara Drenker-Nagels, Ina Ewers-Schultz, Matthias Arndt
Exhibition concept, stage-managing, texts:  
Ina Ewers-Schultz, Kunst-Ausstellungen-Texte, Köln 
Exhibition conception, scenic and graphic design:  
Arndt + Seelig Kommunikationsdesign, Bielefeld 
Editing: Amelie Soyka, Schreibweisen, Köln 
Translation: Albert Brancato
Printing technology: Heerlein Serigrafie, Berlin + Eberswalde,  
Picos Grafik, Bad Honnef
Media technology: electronic GmbH, Coesfeld 
Furniture and showcase construction: Gerken Tischlerei GmbH, Kutenholz

Audio-Guide  
Texts: Ina Ewers-Schultz
Children's tour: Amelie Soyka 
Production: Alex Hardt, Amelie Soyka, Ina Ewers-Schultz 
Speaker (German): Birte Schrein (Elisabeth Macke)  
Timo Berndt (Exhibits, Children's tour, August Macke)  
and Hüseyin Michael Cirpici, Philipp Basener, Daniel Breitfelder
Speaker (English): Carrie Dimaculangan (Elisabeth Macke)
Jeffrey A. McGuire (Exhibits), Steve Nobles (Children's tour)  

Museum equipment: Stephanie Horster, Birgit Kulmer,  
Dirk Püllen, Dirk Ufermann, Christian Hüsges, Thomas Jüptner 
Restoration: Petra Bachmann
Organization: Barbara Kollarzik, Mirjam Franke

We would like to thank all donors and lenders, especially the descendants of August Macke, the Kunstmuseum Bonn, the Evarist Adam Weber Archive, and the LWL Museum for Art and Culture for their generous support. Westfälisches Landesmuseum, Münster, the Rhenish Archive for Artists' Legacies, City Archives Bonn and anyone who does not want to be named.