2_0_DiscoverGermany_October14_Issue19:Scan Magazine 1
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Discover Germany | Special Theme | Finest Art & Culture Left: View of the monks' cells, in which the Carthusian monks lived and meditated from 1461 to 1848. © Thurgau Art Museum & Ittingen Museum Below: Rococo Church in Ittingen Museum. © Ittingen Museum Bottom: “A Silenced Library” by Joseph Kosuth occupies the entire floor of a former wine cellar. © Thurgau Art Museum
History, Art and Meditation Ittingen Museum and Thurgau Art Museum The Swiss Canton of Thurgau attracts many visitors to two museums that combine contemporary art and local history in what can only be described as truly stunning surroundings.
Art and Art Brut. One particular focus lies on artistic outsiders who work on the edges of society and challenge the traditional art view.
TEXT: ISABEL WAGNER
In the picturesque Swiss Canton of Thurgau, in close proximity to Lake Constance and right next to the idyllic river Thur, lies the Ittingen Charterhouse, a former Carthusian monastery of outstanding beauty that hosts two different museums which complement each other in a fascinating way: the Ittingen Museum and the Thurgau Art Museum. The Ittingen Museum focuses on the history of the monastery, which was founded in the 12th century and taken over in 1461 by the order of the Carthusians, who established it as a flourishing monastery where they lived their religious lives in silence and isolation. Christa Fritschi, the Museum’s Head of Marketing and Administration highlights that: “The austere monks’ cells, a richly decorated refectory and a sumptuous Rococo church still seem to echo the silence of the monks’work and prayers.”Thanks to the authenticity of the
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premises it is not difficult to imagine the monks moving cautiously through the corridors of this glorious building. If this history-charged museum wasn’t enough to explore, there is also the Thurgau Art Museum.The combination of the building’s venerable walls, its art collection and the fact that some of the exhibition rooms are located in the old cellars creates an extraordinary effect. “In the historic buildings of the former monastery, the works of renowned artists such as Joseph Kosuth, Jenny Holzer or Roman Signer develop a particularly intense aura,” Fritschi explains. Their works are presented alongside local artists and works of Naïve
The Ittingen Charterhouse is highly recommended to anyone interested in art and history. One of the highlights is the wonderful garden where the charterhouse’s own produce is grown, following the monks’ age-old traditions. In addition, it hosts Switzerland’s biggest historic rose garden and a labyrinth constructed of thyme plants, in which the visitor can relax and reach a state of contemplation, just in case the monastery’s tranquil atmosphere has not created a sufficiently deep peacefulness already. As Fritschi puts it: “Ittingen Charterhouse is a power place where authentic spirituality and monastic life continue to hold sway.” www.kunstmuseum.ch www.ittingermuseum.tg.ch