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About Villa Haiss: Villa Haiss, a contemporary art museum and gallery, has a vibrant history that spans decades, cities and continents. Art dealer Walter Bischoff originally founded his eponymous gallery in Chicago, Illinois in 1984 with an inaugural exhibition of works by the Polish painter Edward Dwurnik, announcing the opening of the only gallery dedicated to contemporary European art in the city at that time. The gallery initially focused specifically on German and Eastern European art, with the aim of both introducing and establishing the genre in the United States. Over the next decade the gallery moved to Stuttgart and Berlin, and increasingly expanded its focus on international art and artists. In the 1990s, Bischoff renovated and renamed the historic Villa Haiss building in the town of Zell am Harmersbach, Germany, located in the Black Forest and conveniently located between the cities of Basel, Switzerland, Strasbourg, Germany. France and Karlsruhe, Germany. The Villa Haiss was officially inaugurated in 1997 with an exhibition of works by the artist Art Informel KRH Sonderborg. Today, it is the only art space of its kind in the region and offers a combination of dynamic temporary exhibitions and programming and collection exhibitions.
Founder Walter Bischoff in his eponymous gallery, Stuttgart (1995), presentation and exhibition of Adochi. ©Villa Haiss.
What do you want to know: After being closed for almost two years, the Villa Haiss reopened to the public in September 2022, unveiling a permanent exhibition presenting a wide range of works of art illustrating the orientation of the gallery:International art after ’45.” Made up of more than 80 works of art, the exhibition highlights abstract painting, post-war European art and informal art, as well as examples of contemporary photography, art from East and East Asia, as well as a space dedicated to sculpture. With artists such as Heinz Mac, Otto PieneAnd Jean Miotte, the permanent exhibition also offers insight into the rich and varied history of Villa Haiss and the Walter Bischoff Gallery, as many of the artists represented have had long-term personal relationships with Bischoff and have previously exhibited through the gallery. . Ultimately, the permanent exhibition also acts as a solid base for the other two temporary exhibition spaces – where one typically shows established artists and the other younger and emerging artists – offering visitors to Villa Haiss a comprehensive and cohesive artistic experience.
Villa Haiss, Museum and Gallery of Contemporary Art. ©Villa Haiss. Photo: N. Kazakov.
Why we love it: Villa Haiss is unique in that it seamlessly synthesizes the qualities of a traditional art museum with those of a modern art gallery, giving equal importance to salable exhibits as well as its exhibition long-term. Valuable for collectors as well as for art lovers, “International Art after ’45” acts as a complement and a keystone to the temporary exhibitions which offer new and stimulating presentations. The permanent exhibition is entirely curated to allow viewers to explore and learn about important artists and movements of the 20th century. The first floor contains six themed galleries and a hallway, with the opening rooms dedicated to photography – featuring works by founding photographers Thomas Ruff and Cindy Sherman, among others – and a focus on the Zero art movement. Additionally, visitors can experience the art of New Realism, Abstract Expressionism, and Art Informel. The second floor features artists ranging from Lothar Quinte For He Jinweias well as sculptures by artists Stephan Balkenhol, Lluis CeraAnd Bernard Venet. Together, the Villa Haiss permanent exhibition is a veritable jewel box of international modern and contemporary art, offering insight not only into the history of art, but also into the Villa’s mission and endeavours. Haiss as a whole, from its inception as a German gallery in the United States to its present as a museum and gallery in the German Black Forest.
See inside the permanent exhibition below.
Installation view of the permanent exhibition at Villa Haiss with works by Lothar Quinte and Michael Danner. Photo: Johannes Richardt. ©Villa Haiss.
Installation view of the permanent exhibition at Villa Haiss with works by Hans Peter Adamaski and Jean Miotte. Photo: Johannes Richardt. ©Villa Haiss.
Installation view of the permanent exhibition at Villa Haiss with works by He Jinwei and Joachim Hiller. Photo: Johannes Richardt. ©Villa Haiss.
Installation view of the Villa Haiss permanent exhibition with works by Tadashi Kawamata, Edward Dwurnik, Chaseok Jeoung, Jean Miotte and Bernard Aubertin. Photo: N. Kazakov. ©Villa Haiss.
Installation view of the permanent exhibition at Villa Haiss with works by Jean Miotte, Arman and Otto Piene. Photo: N. Kazakov. ©Villa Haiss.
Find out more about Villa Haiss and the current program here.
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