Wanderlust - an exhibition on exoticism and cultural rapprochement

"Fernweh" takes the Chinese Room, a room in the Stadtmuseum im Hermansbau (City Museum in the Hermansbau), as an occasion to reflect on the traditions of the "exotic" and the enthusiasm for the "foreign". The exhibition juxtaposes the historical interior design with works by contemporary artists who deal with the theme from different geopolitical and postcolonial perspectives.
The Hermansbau was built in the 1760s by the Memmingen merchant Benedict von Herman. With this representative building opposite the Memmingen town church, the builder sought to demonstrate his cosmopolitanism and impress his business partners. Benedict von Herman was considered the richest Swabian at the time and he owned the largest German trading company in Venice, where he also lived for most of the time. The design and furnishings of the Hermans' building were therefore noticeably inspired by Venetian palazzi.
In keeping with the fashion of the time, one of the rooms on the representative first floor, where guests were received and entertained, was designed as a Chinese room. The hand-painted wallpapers show scenes and ornaments that were read as Chinese, although they mostly originated in the imagination of the artists who executed them. Here one sees strange animal creatures and plants, strange musical instruments and wind-powered means of transport. These depictions do not convey an actual image of China, but they do give a fictional atmosphere as it was associated with the distant country. Via the existing trade routes, individual pieces of information and goods reached Europe and met with great interest there.

Last edited on 17.03.2025