Press release “At your service” Cologne, November 4, 2019
At your service
The Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture is exhibiting works by the artist Sala Lieber
Die Stiftung lädt zur Ausstellungseröffnung “Zu Ihren Diensten” mit Arbeiten der Künstlerin Sala Lieber am Samstag, den 9. November 2019 von 18-21 Uhr herzlich ein. Die Eröffnung wird von Nikolaus Zumbusch, Sprecher der Stiftung für Kunst und Baukultur Britta und Ulrich Findeisen und von Susanne Laugwitz-Aulbach, Kulturdezernentin der Stadt Köln, Dezernat VII – Kunst und Kultur, eingeleitet. 1.001 The foundation cordially invites you to the opening of the exhibition “At Your Service” with works by the artist Sala Lieber on Saturday, November 9, 2019, from 6 to 9 pm. The opening will be introduced by Nikolaus Zumbusch, spokesperson for the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architectural Culture, and by Susanne Laugwitz-Aulbach, Head of Cultural Affairs for the City of Cologne, Department VII – Art and Culture.
The solo exhibition at the Forum of the Foundation at Venloer Straße 19 in Cologne's city center offers a humorous glimpse into courtly life in the 17th century. It focuses primarily on hierarchy in the workplace and explores the question of who is dependent on whom. The masters of the house give instructions, and the servants carry them out humbly. The boss decides, the employees follow instructions: That was then. Thus, the conceptual link between the working world of that time and that of today is ever-present for the viewer – even if it is not depicted in the artwork. Clear hierarchies have always existed in society and the workplace. First come the higher positions, only then the ordinary employees. Today, the world of work, across all sectors, is undergoing a very exciting transformation towards non-hierarchical leadership. Many companies are focusing on dismantling hierarchies and want to work "agilely." One reason for this is a significant shift in values among employees.
Die aus Ungarn stammende Düsseldorfer Meisterschülerin Sala Lieber entführt uns in dieser Ausstellung ins 17. Jahrhundert und offenbart uns den Glanz und Prunk des Barock und des Rokoko in all seinen Facetten. Mit der Ausstellung “Zu Ihren Diensten” widmet sich die Künstlerin diesmal nicht allein der prachtvollen Architektur von Schlössern und Residenzen sowie Porträts adliger Persönlichkeiten und Familien, sondern auch der unteren Stufe der höfischen Hierarchie, dem dazugehörigen Dienstpersonal, welches als adliges Statussymbol das Bild des Barock ebenso prägt und ausmacht. So fand die Darstellung von Butlern in eleganten Herrenanzügen und Dienstmädchen in schwarzen, mit weißen Rüschen besetzten Kleidern seit jeher Eingang in die Malerei.
The solo exhibition at the Forum of the Foundation at Venloer Straße 19 in Cologne's city center offers a humorous glimpse into courtly life in the 17th century. It focuses primarily on hierarchy in the workplace and explores the question of who is dependent on whom. The masters of the house give instructions, and the servants carry them out humbly. The boss decides, the employees follow instructions: That was then. Thus, the conceptual link between the working world of that time and that of today is ever-present for the viewer – even if it is not depicted in the artwork. Clear hierarchies have always existed in society and the workplace. First come the higher positions, only then the ordinary employees. Today, the world of work, across all sectors, is undergoing a very exciting transformation towards non-hierarchical leadership. Many companies are focusing on dismantling hierarchies and want to work "agilely." One reason for this is a significant shift in values among employees.
Image descriptions for "At Your Service" in the foundation's forum
The exhibition primarily addresses hierarchy in the workplace and explores the question of who is dependent on whom. This role is constantly being exchanged or, as in the screen-print series "Fresh Meat," taken to extremes. The images also aim to shake things up and provoke. Everyone is invited to question themselves and others in their respective situations and positions. The nudity of the figures in the images "Bar" and "The Gardener's Treasure Has Fallen Down" is intended to highlight their inferiority and vulnerability as employees.
The picture "Gardener's Treasure Has Fallen" depicts a snapshot of a gardening accident: The attractive gardener has fallen from his ladder while working, and the lady of the house looks out the window and comments on the situation. The scene intentionally conveys a certain condescension towards the staff, as this is not uncommon in real life. In the pictures "At Your Service," the servants are lined up in a row.
In this exhibition, Sala Lieber, a master student from Hungary who studied in Düsseldorf, takes us back to the 17th century and reveals to us the splendor and magnificence of the Baroque and Rococo periods in all their facets.
She portrays the servants as an anonymous and impersonal mass whom we do not recognize as individuals with desires and concerns. Thus, the servant is an interchangeable being.
In the painting “Triptych,” the row of servants is quite brazenly depicted on a significantly larger canvas than the master of the house. Or in the painting “The Gardener Has Fallen Down,” the perhaps cynical view from the window is captured on the naked gardener. It is a game of power and hierarchies.
But certainly, without the work of servants, much property would be uncontrollable. This also raises the question: who cannot live without the others, who is indispensable?
With the exhibition “At Your Service,” the artist this time focuses not only on the magnificent architecture of castles and residences and portraits of noble personalities and families, but also on the lower rungs of the courtly hierarchy: the servants, who, as a symbol of aristocratic status, shaped and defined the image of the Baroque era. Thus, depictions of butlers in elegant men's suits and maids in black dresses trimmed with white ruffles have always been a feature of painting.
About the artist Sala Lieber:
Born in Budapest in 1980, Sala Lieber pursued her artistic talent at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where she received her Master's degree from Professor Herbert Brandl in 2005. Sala Lieber's works are characterized by courtly themes and Baroque motifs that seem to come from another era, yet simultaneously reflect a lightness and modernity. This is evident in her opulent and richly detailed oil paintings, characterized by vibrant colors. The artist's characteristic affinity for the Baroque style is also expressed in her new series of hand-printed silkscreens, which equally impress with their richly colored details and playful decoration, transporting the viewer to a world of royal splendor. Further information about Sala Lieber and her work can be found at https://salalieber.com.
About the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architectural Culture:
Since its founding in July 2007, the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architectural Culture has been committed to promoting education, historic preservation, art, and architectural culture. The foundation's activities are not geographically limited. To increase the effectiveness of the foundation's funds, and also thanks to the local ties of the founders, its activities focus on its own and external projects in accordance with the foundation's purpose, which are primarily implemented in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) or whose benefits lie with the supported individuals and institutions in NRW. The foundation pursues exclusively and directly purposes within the meaning of the section "Tax-privileged purposes" of the German Fiscal Code. The purpose of the foundation is to promote education, art, and architectural culture. The benefit to the individuals or institutions receiving support is always the primary focus when selecting projects. Further information about the work of the Foundation for Art and Architectural Culture can be found at www.stiftung-findeisen.de.
Press contact:
Nikolaus Zumbusch
Spokesperson of the Foundation
Phone: +49-69-77 06 25 81
Mobil: +49-151-14 28 27 16
E-Mail: presse@stiftung-findeisen.de
Foundation for Art and Architecture Britta and Ulrich Findeisen
Administration of the Foundation
Landstraße 18
41516 Grevenbroich-Hemmerden
Telefon: +49-2182-88 655-30
Web: www.stiftung-findeisen.de
