They effortlessly bring the energy of art to the audience. For Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, there is hard work behind a feather-light art experience. ntv.de visited the hip director and curator duo in Berlin at the Museum Hamburger Bahnhof.
Her passion is conveying art – in a way that everyone can understand. Ideally, right away. As a team, they have been curating exhibitions in the most important museums in the world for decades, from Madrid to Paris to South Korea. They have enchanted their audience there and at important art biennials, such as in Venice and currently in Lyon, and convinced many critics. Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath have been the new directors of the “Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart” in Berlin for almost a year. Over the next seven years, the duo will show how enriching experiencing and experiencing art can be. As curators, they compare themselves to directors: not seen on screen, but with a central function. “You have to take a step back, the artists make the music and not the curators,” says Fellrath thoughtfully.
Both are passionate about their profession and enthusiastically explain to ntv.de what a curator does. There is a lot of work and research behind the lightness of their exhibition concepts. “First of all, the content is important, we think about the artists, their artworks and themes. The second important element is the context, because you don’t curate in a vacuum. It’s also about the space, the architecture, the story of a institution, that of the city,” says Bardaouil. The list of things to consider just keeps getting longer and longer.
The native Lebanese names communication as the third pillar. In this way, content and context can flow into each other: “We research in all directions and in depth, have a lot of conversations, bring people from different countries together with different ideas and identities. In the end, we make something very complex extremely easy to access. This simplicity should Engage people while the complexity stays in the background.” Which in turn doesn’t mean that the audience can’t go into depth, “the viewer has the right to know everything about a work, including the critical questions. But ultimately you don’t have to know everything to understand a work of art,” says Fellrath. He is considered the rational part, his comrade-in-arms the more emotional part.
What is it like when there is no common denominator in your work? They have a great deal of overlap in which how they view art seem effortlessly consistent. Nevertheless, they see themselves as independently thinking people, partner or not. Both radiate with different energies. Fights are fought, but in the end what counts is “the consensus, not a narrow majority. Polarization doesn’t get you anywhere,” says Fellrath. And Bardaouil adds: “Our work is not about our own ego, but about exhibitions and institutions. For that I can completely reject a favorite idea. We can consider ourselves lucky that what we do here at the Museum Hamburger Sharing station with such a passionate team.”
From their office they look at the cool office towers at Berlin Central Station. Creative chaos reigns on three room-filling desks. A diary on the wall goes well beyond the coming year. Works of art can only be found in books here. The bookshelf is still stocked from its predecessor. Time is a scarce commodity for them. Not only did they take over the management of the Hamburger Bahnhof this year, they had already committed themselves to curating the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and the 16th edition of the Art Biennale in Lyon. Although both have been successful, there were some who accused them of too much whirlwind elsewhere and too little focus on Berlin. Fellrath refutes this with a smile: “We work in pairs, and one can be in Berlin while the other is in Venice , Lyon or wherever works. Ultimately, we share a spot. The model has a certain charm and the advantage that different perspectives can be incorporated here.” You have now moved your place of residence to Berlin and are doing fewer external projects.
Their paths crossed on the paths of art in New York in the early 2000s. “In a project that was never realized,” both admit with a laugh. They have been talking ever since, “a constant conversation that never ended,” says Bardaouil. After studying art history and performance art, he came to New York from Dubai, where he taught. Fellrath had taken a sabbatical from an art school and then ran a small museum. “Art was always an absolute hobby horse,” says the native German, who studied economics and political science. In 2009 they founded their company Art Reoriented, with which they continue to implement newly conceived curatorial concepts worldwide. The focus is on the countries of the Middle East. They want to connect borders and work against stereotypes. Their different cultural roots and academic backgrounds create perfect synergies for their collaboration. Bardaouil and Fellrath like to stay curious and on the move. They appreciate a challenge and so their main focus is now on the museum in Berlin.
The house where they work is at an intersection of the city – in the east and somehow also close to the west. Definitely in the center of Berlin. In 1846 the classical building was put into operation as a train station. Later it was a transport and technology museum and since 1996 contemporary art has been showing what it can do in the airy halls and rooms. How does one go from a sought-after team of curators to a team of directors? “By applying, the job was advertised quite normally. The step isn’t as big as you might think,” says Fellrath. “We have worked with over 70 institutions worldwide. Therefore, we know many institutional models with their strengths and their problems.”
They cleared the biggest hurdle to undisturbed work at the Hamburger Bahnhof a few weeks ago: When they took up their post, the building and the adjacent Rieckhallen were threatened with demolition. A confused story from German and Berlin cultural politics that now has a happy ending: the museum is allowed to stay. Now they can show exhibitions with their own handwriting. Full of idealism, they want the museum under their direction to become an anchor, and not just for art enthusiasts. So get out of pigeonholing – a museum is for everyone. Also for those who perhaps do not dare to cross the threshold of the art temple.
The vision could succeed, because the beauty of an exhibition is felt in the stomach, says Bardaouil. The physical experience of art is important. It’s not about explaining art. Works of art that can be seen and experienced three-dimensionally in a room can stimulate people to think differently. And how much beauty and politics fit into one exhibition? “You shouldn’t overload artworks with too many ideas,” admits Bardaouil. Fellrath adds: “We first consider which works of art will be shown in the exhibition and then want to surprise as wide an audience as possible.” This is how her sensual and at the same time demanding exhibitions are created. They also put up with it when someone “finds something stupid. We prefer that to the work not being understood.”
Hamburger Bahnhof – National Gallery of Contemporary Art, Invalidenstrasse 50-51, 10557 Berlin
Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale “Manifesto of Fragility” until December 31st. All information here
