Noura Dirani – författare

In her artistic work, Shilpa Gupta addresses important issues in our society such as belonging, censorship, religion, freedom of expression and human rights. Her works testify to a deep engagement with questions of social, geographical and psychological boundaries and their influence on public life.She addresses the growing national public sphere in India, which is characterised by gender and class barriers, religious differences and the power of repressive state apparatuses. Language and its inherent power are a central focus of her work.Her oeuvre encompasses media such as robotic works, photographic images, interactive sound videos, motorised mechanisms, found objects, computer-assisted installations and public performances. Shilpa Gupta is one of the most important media artists of our time and has had a major influence on the current generation of artists.

From Baroque silver treasures and 19th-century paint ings to international modern and contemporary art, from Willi Baumeister to Andy Warhol—the Kunsthalle St. Annen and the St. Annen-Museum in Lübeck house art and cultural treasures from nine centuries. Much of it is stored in their depots. The exhibition at the Kun sthalle St. Annen and the accompanying catalogue mark the start of a multiyear project focusing on this often overlooked yet essential part of the museum. Well-re searched and vivid contributions from the museum’s sci entific and restoration team, as well as other experts, use the Lübeck collection to address fundamental questions of collecting, preserving, researching, communicating, and exhibiting. They offer unusual glimpses behind the scenes of a museum and reveal things and processes that generally remain hidden—making them worthwhile reading for art lovers and specialists alike.