This information about Cabaret Fledermaus’s functions was taken from the exhibition wall text. For more on the particulars of Hoffmann’s interior design strategy-including his specificity for ladies’ apparel-see Mark Taylor and Julieanna Preston’s Intimus: interior design theory reader. This definition of Gesamtkunstwerk was taken from the wall text within the Josef Hoffman’s Vienna exhibition space. Images and details of the Stoclet Palace are available through the UNESCO Heritage Site website at. She holds a BA in Art History and International Studies from the University of Denver and a Master’s degree in Art History, Theory, and Display from the University of Edinburgh. Over a century has passed since Hoffmann’s revolutionary designs first entered the public eye, and the Kirkland Museum is a superb destination for some much-needed contemplation and escapism into the past.Īshten Scheller is a Denver-based art historian, writer, and researcher, as well as a volunteer assistant editor for the intersectional online arts platform Femme Salée. Historical detail is widely accessible, and the curation has been thoughtfully accomplished. In the end, Josef Hoffmann’s Vienna is a delightful experience, transporting visitors to this glittering period of avant-gardes and refined luxury. Though the exhibition focuses on Vienna, I can’t help but wonder what effects Hoffmann’s designs had outside this glittering city, as part of a larger international modernist style. Louis, Missouri-cannot be understated, given that they served as platforms for both international competition and exchange. In contrast with the curving botanical motifs most often associated with the international Art Nouveau style, Hoffmann instead emphasized simple geometric patterns, particularly the aforementioned black and white checkerboard motif.Īlso, the importance of World’s Fairs during this time-such as the 1904 pavilion in St. Hoffmann’s nickname, “Square Hoffmann” ( Quadratl Hoffmann), is evident throughout the space. I’m pleasantly surprised (and impressed) to discover that all of the artworks have been selected from the Kirkland Museum’s own permanent collection, showcasing both new acquisitions and fan-favorites. Visitors to the museum are able to imagine themselves as Hoffmann’s eccentric patrons as they approach the Fledermaus Chair and checkerboard tile setting. All of the senses are valued equally in an immersive experience, which is extended to the viewer not only through the Hoffmann-designed table and chairs, but through a physical copy of the Cabaret’s original 1907 menu. An underground space that opened in 1907, it included a bar and auditorium, and hosted various performances such as poetry readings, satirical plays, music, shadow puppetry, and dance.
The most compelling example of this notion of Gesamtkunstwerk in the exhibition is a partial replica of the Cabaret Fledermaus.
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