Conveying works of visual art through language is common practice and often a necessary evil, so to speak. The limitations of language in this task and, as a result, the inadequate reproduction of a work of art are often forgotten. With the exhibition Shifting the Silence. Die Stille verschieben, the Lenbachhaus in Munich reminds us of this and invites us to consciously experience numerous contemporary works of art on site, giving space to our own and new associations and interpretations. Discovering the ambiguity of artworks, which tends to be dissolved by linguistic structure, is an important raison d'être of visual art. The title of the show refers to the book Shifting the Silence by artist Etel Adnan, which was published shortly before her death in 2021. It is a poetic, fragmentary reflection on life, transience, and perception. The limitations of language in capturing works of art is a central theme of the book. The exhibition will remain on view in Munich for over a year, until summer 2027.
The Lenbachhaus presents works by Etel Adnan, Saâdane Afif, Nevin Aladağ, Harold Ancart, Tolia Astakhishvili, Leilah Babirye, Cana Bilir-Meier, Mel Bochner, Thea Djordjadze, Simone Fattal, Amy Feldman, Dan Flavin, Isa Genzken, Adrian Ghenie, Zvi Goldstein, Sheela Gowda, Giorgio Griffa, Philipp Gufler, Samia Halaby, Candida Höfer, Jenny Holzer, Alexander Kluge, Jiří Kovanda, Goshka Macuga, Nick Mauss, Rosemary Mayer, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Roméo Mivekannin, Matt Mullican, Marcel Odenbach, Gülbin Ünlü, Nicole Wermers, and Issy Wood.
