This spring, the members of the Society for Modern Art travelled to Iceland and explored the culture and art scene in the capital Reykjavík. The coastal city offers a diverse range of museums and galleries and the island’s landscape is perfect for walks. We visited the National Gallery, the Höfuðstöðin Art Centre, the Reykjavik Art Museum with its various locations and the Marshall House with various galleries and institutions: the i8 Grandi Gallery, the Thula Gallery and the Living Art Museum as well as Roni Horn’s Library of Water in Stykkishólmur.
We were able to gain deeper insights into Icelandic art by meeting the artist, art collector and horse breeder Thordis Alda and visiting the studios of the artist Ragnar Kjartansson and the artist Ragna Róbertsdóttir.
Highlights of the cultural programme included a visit to the Harpa Opera House and Hallgrímskirkja Church, where we listened to the sounds of the organ and saxophone.

The members of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst started the new year with unique impressions of a highly hospitable city of Munich. They enjoyed intensive insights into the history of the collection and the city’s gallery landscape. They visited the Lenbachhaus with Director Matthias Mühling and the exhibition of the artists Rosemarie Trockel and Thea Djordjadze. At Museum Brandhorst, they visited the exhibition on the artists Keith Haring and Andy Warhol. Highlights included a visit to Alexander Höller’s studio and a meeting with the artist Ju Young Kim at Galerie Max Goelitz. They also gained interesting insights into Harald Spengler’s collection and one of the largest galleries in Germany, the Bergson / Johann König Gallery. Further impressions were revealed by Bernd and Verena Klüser’s unique collection of drawings and the current art exhibition at the Espace Louis Vuitton. On the last day, they visited Milen Till and Ruscha Voormann in the Städtisches Atelierhaus, two private collections in the south of Munich and the Geiger Archive, rounding off an eventful trip.

To round off the summer, the members of the Society for Modern Art explored Barcelona’s vibrant art and culture scene. Accompanied by sunshine, we had exciting cultural encounters with the greats of art history at the Picasso Museum, the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, the Fundació Joan Miró, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the Sagrada Família, but also explored young international artistic positions at Manifesta 15, which dealt artistically with the tension between man, city and nature in the context of various extraordinary decentralized exhibition spaces in the metropolitan region around Barcelona.
With excursions to Figueres and Cadaqués, we experienced places where Matisse, Chagall, Picasso and Dalí were inspired by the light and blue tones of the Mediterranean.

A visit to the Venice Biennale is always a special experience. For the 60th anniversary of the international art exhibition, our members once again enjoyed a dense and varied art program. This year, curator Adriano Pedrosa focused on otherness and the experience of foreigness. Under the title Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere, he is showing numerous works by artists from the Global South who are indigenous or queer, who are migrants or live in exile. Our members were able to discover a wide variety of art during guided tours of the Arsenale and selected country pavilions. Other highlights in Venice were the exhibitions by Willem de Kooning in the Gallerie dell’Accademia, by Pierre Huyghe in the Punta della Doganan, by Julie Mehretu in Palazzo Grassi and by Berlinde de Bruyckere on San Giorgio Maggiore.

In late summer 2023, we explored England’s art scene in glorious summer weather. We started in Banksy’s Bristol with a visit to the established art center Spike Island and insights into the studio of sculptor Veronica Ryan. The personal tour of world-renowned documentary photographer Martin Parr through his foundation was a special highlight for us. We also strolled through the beautiful garden designed by Piet Oudolf on the large gallery grounds of Hauser & Wirth, through the Sydney Gardens in Somerset and Bath, and the Roche Court Sculpture Park in Salisbury. At the Holbourne and Victoria & Albert museums as well as the New Art Centre, our members were able to discover modern art collections and treasures of contemporary and modern art. We also gained insights into the world of the artist duo Gilbert and George, learned about Cromwell Place as an international exchange platform for artists and enjoyed the architecture of the Serpentine Gallery´s pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh. In London, we visited Yayoi Kusama’s enchanted INFINITY MIRROR ROOMS at the Tate Modern as well as the studio of Sir Frank Bowling, the 2022 Wolfgang-Hahn-Prize winner. A gallery tour of London rounded off this trip full of new impressions.

“Grüezi!”, we said in August 2023 during our five-day art trip to the Engadin. We used the trip to visit museums, galleries, collectors and artists and to be inspired by the uniqueness of the Swiss art and culture scene in the most beautiful landscapes. Not Vital opened its doors to us, as did the Tschudi, Urs Meile, Karsten Greve and Enzo Sperone galleries, the Muzeum Susch, the Stalla Madulain and the Segantini Museum. At the Hotel Castell, the Pension Aldier with the Giacometti Museum and especially at Hauser und Wirth in the Roth Bar, we combined culinary and art enjoyment in the most pleasant way. The personal encounters with Not Vital and Rolf Sachs left a lasting impression on us.

In spring 2023, Portugal greeted the members of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst not only with sunshine, but also with a vibrant art and culture scene. The trip began in Lisbon with visits to the Museu nacional do Azulejo, the Jahn and Jahn Gallery and two artists’ studios. In Coimbra, we had the opportunity to see the great exhibition of Rui Chafes and Alberto Giacometti. A special highlight was the visit to the studio of Ai Weiwei with a personal tour by the artist. The Fundação de Serralves Foundation with its wonderful gardens, the Casa Sao Roque and the Mario Sequeira Gallery in Porto and Braga were a perfect conclusion to the trip.

Enchanté! The South of France welcomed the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst with open arms in the fall of 2022. On two five-day trips, our members toured the cities of Avignon, Barjac, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Nîmes, and Marseille, and were able to experience the region’s diverse art and cultural scene. From the renowned Collection Lambert, the Carré d’ Art in Nimes, the Museum LUMA and an exhibition in the historic Hotel Vernon in Arles, to the important landmarks of Marseille, the oldest city of France – there was a lot to see! In between guided tours through the cities, exciting special exhibitions and studio visits, we enjoyed the Mediterranean sun, dined, drank and laughed together.

Under the title „The Milk of Dreams”, the 59th Venice Biennale, which was inititally postponed, could finally take place in 2022. Under the direction of Cecilia Alemani, the 2022 Biennale reflected on the massive upheavals of the last two years, embarked on a search for future possibilities of living together, and questioned the relationship between society, technology, the body, and nature. Dr. Yilmaz Dziewior, a familiar face from the Museum Ludwig, was appointed to curate the German pavilion, and invited Maria Eichhorn to contribute.

The members of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst were, of course, present in present in Venice and were able to get to know the various international contributions and artistic positions during two art trips lasting several days in May and September of 2022. In addition to the Biennale visit to the Giardini and the Arsenale, the program also included guided tours of current exhibition highlights and collections as well as an architectural tour of Venice’s historic city centre.

An intensive and comprehensive program between antiquity and the present awaited us on our trip to the Eternal City, with stops at the MAXXI Museum, city tours, gallery exhibitions and visits to Villa Massimo, Villa Borghese and Tivoli. Classics of antiquity and contemporary architecture were on the agenda, as was a visit to the studio of an artist and practising Franciscan priest, whose studio in the monastery above the archaeological zone offered us a very friendly welcome, an extraordinary enjoyment of art and a very special view of the Colosseum and the city.

Israel’s multifaceted nature is also reflected in its unique art and cultural scene. On our trip, we will first visit the metropolis of Tel Aviv. The “white city” fascinates with its unique ensemble of modern architecture and its multicultural and young cultural scene. In addition to renowned museums that provide insights into the Israeli art landscape, we will visit selected galleries, project spaces and private collections. During our subsequent stay in Jerusalem, we will focus on the culturally and historically significant sites. Here, the unique cultural stratification of the holy city will become tangible. A detailed visit to Yad Vashem, the world’s most important Holocaust memorial, is also on our program. However, Jerusalem is not only a city steeped in history, tradition and religion, but is also modern and dynamic, especially outside the walls of the Old City.

Sweden’s capital inspires with an unmistakable mix of city flair and nature and is considered one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. In recent years, Stockholm has also developed into an exciting center for contemporary art. Renowned institutions such as the Moderna Museet and independent exhibition venues as well as a lively gallery and collector scene showcase a broad spectrum of contemporary art.
In addition to our exploration tours through the diverse art institutions, we also visited the picturesque old town and the gardens scattered throughout the city. The excursion to the archipelago gardens and an evening at the Royal Opera House were also special experiences.

In the fall, members of the “Junger Ankauf” and “HERE AND NOW” initiatives traveled to New York. Just how important the metropolis still is for current artistic developments is demonstrated in particular by the art scene in the Brooklyn and Harlem districts. Many young artists and galleries have set up their studios and exhibition spaces here, leaving a lasting mark on the neighborhoods. In order to discover and experience the continuously growing young art scene, the group visited artists’ studios and project spaces as well as young private collections accompanied by local experts. Exhibitions of contemporary art in established institutions, such as the MoMA, were also part of the dense and exciting itinerary.

Two art trips to Palermo took place in fall 2018 on the occasion of Manifesta 12. Under the title “The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence”, the focus was on an interdisciplinary examination of the city’s past and present and its different lifestyles. During the Biennale, contemporary art was presented in various locations such as theaters and palazzi in the historic old town. This linking of past and present is also intended to make a lasting contribution to the positive development of the city. Accordingly, we were able to experience both historic and contemporary Palermo on our extensive walks.
Our travel experience was rounded off with further discovery tours through historical buildings and gardens as well as encounters with local cultural actors.

Helsinki in midsummer – that alone is worth a trip. The members of the Society for Modern Art explored the city’s diverse artistic landscape at a time when the sun only disappears behind the horizon for a brief moment late at night: a very special experience. The group visited institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Kisama, the Ateneum, the Kunsthalle Helsinki and the HAM Art Museum, which is impressive for its architecture alone – it was built in 1937 as a tennis hall. Special highlights also included a visit to the studio and home of designer Alvar Aalto, as well as a studio and private collections. The group experienced the city’s contemporary art scene on an extensive tour of galleries, where established galleries such as Forsblom and Anhava were represented alongside lesser-known protagonists and off-spaces such as SIC, Sorbus Galleria and the Exhibition Laboratory.

With its variety of renowned museums, exciting galleries and art spaces, Glasgow has long since established itself alongside London as an international hub for contemporary art. A large number of young and renowned artists live and work here. The members of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst immersed themselves in the vibrant art metropolis and visited institutions such as the Transmission Gallery, the Tramway Gallery, the Centre for Contemporary Arts CCA and the Gallery of Modern Art as well as many artists’ studios. In Edinburgh, the group was able to enjoy contemporary art against an impressive backdrop. The beautiful city with its medieval buildings and green parks is interwoven with a fine network of exciting project spaces and renowned galleries. The program included a visit to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Fruitmarket Gallery, a veritable institution within the contemporary art scene, the influential Platform Collective, founded in 1984, and the Embassy, a non-profit exhibition space founded in 2004. The discovery of the diverse art scene, including various studio visits, took us off the beaten tourist track.

Like few other metropolitan areas in the western hemisphere, Los Angeles has developed an impressive dynamic in the field of contemporary art in recent years. Not only have new museums such as the Eli Broad Museum and a number of European galleries opened their branches; for many artists, L.A. is still a habitat for development and creativity. Los Angeles also made headlines a few years ago when the continued operation of museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was in question; due to the close support of private patrons and companies, the effects of the 2008 financial crisis were felt and highlighted the strong interdependence between the art world and the economy. We approached this exciting metropolis, which according to the latest figures has over 3 million inhabitants with large communities of Latino-Americans, for example, and is a city of contrasts, on a trip at the beginning of 2017. Our trip focused on newly opened museums such as the Eli Broad Museum as well as renowned flagships. Visits to well-known private collections were on the agenda, as were visits to selected artists’ studios and galleries. We were particularly pleased to see the exhibition “Morning: Chapter 30” by 2015 Wolfgang Hahn Award winner R.H. Quaytman at MOCA. After 5 intensive days in Los Angeles, we flew to San Francisco, where we spent 2 days; one of the reasons for this was the visit to the spectacular new additional building for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art by the Snøhetta office.

In Tuscany, art and nature merge into a single entity like in hardly any other landscape. Famous for its artistic heritage from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Tuscany is home to an equally extensive network of outstanding contemporary art venues. Beyond the classic routes, the members of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst visited renowned private collections in impressive parks and artists’ gardens, modern sculptures in medieval towns and newly opened museums such as the Museo Novecento in Florence.

In the second half of the 20th century, modern and contemporary art flourished in Texas. The study trip took the members of the Society for Modern Art from Houston via Marfa, a “Lourdes of Minimalism” in the middle of the desert, to Dallas. In addition to museums and impressive sculpture parks, our members visited extraordinary private collections.