Thomas Kellner: Chapel Schools
Chapel Schools
In 49 pictures, the artist Thomas Kellner, oscillating between art and documentation, thematizes a part of our regional history. The chapel schools form a solitary architectural type for the Siegerland and adjacent regions. As individual buildings, conspicuous in their surroundings, they reveal the connection between church and state, starting from the domain of Count Wilhelm von Nassau-Dillenburg (* April 10, 1487 in Dillenburg; †October 6, 1559 ibid.).
After Kellner has already devoted himself to the Siegen industrial culture in the form of industrial architecture in his series of works Genius Loci and dealt with the half-timbered houses of the Siegen industrial area in the footsteps of Bernd and Hilla Becher, the chapel schools complement his artistic processing of the regional architectural landscape. The chapel schools were realized in Kellner's typical cubist-deconstructed style, which was described by Prof. Dr. Irina Chmyreva as 'Visual Analytical Synthesis', or by Prof. Dr. Rolf Sachsse as 'Modern Mannerism ', and which sets the motif visually in motion.
Chapel schools are buildings in which both church services and school lessons were held and therefore reflect the close connection between church and state. The initiator was Count Wilhelm von Nassau-Dillenburg, who in 1532 instructed the parish priests to teach seven- to fourteen-year-old children at a central location on holiday afternoons. This concept was expanded so that eventually a chapel school was established in almost every village. School and worship space were thus combined in one building, but the rooms could also be used for other purposes. Thus, the chapel school was a multifunctional building, which was used until the end of the 19th century and in parts even until the 20th century. Its appearance is typical, a half-timbered building, often slated and often provided with a small turret for the bell.
The project was supported during the research and implementation by grants from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Neustart Kultur of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media by the Stiftung Kulturwerk of VG Bild-Kunst.
Thomas Kellner – Chapel Schools
Event details of this exhibition of the chapel schools
Thomas Kellner – Chapel Schools
November 13, 2022 – February 11, 2023
Artgalerie, Siegen, Germany
opening reception: Sunday November 13, 2022, 12 p.m.
The District Administrator of the Siegen-Wittgenstein District Andreas Müller,
the Mayor of the City of Siegen Steffen Mues welcome to the opening.
Prof. Dr. Rolf Sachsse, Bonn, will introduce into the exhibition.
Artgalerie
Fürst-Johann-Moritz-Strasse 1
DE 57072 Siegen, Germany
+49 271 339603
info@artgalerie-siegen.de
Opening hours
Mondayday – Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thank you to the main sponsors of this project of the chapel schools since 2020
The project was supported during the research and implementation by grants from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Neustart Kultur of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media by the Stiftung Kulturwerk of VG Bild-Kunst. In addition, the project was generously supported by BGH Edelstahlwerke GmbH, VETTER Industrie GmbH and the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein.
Thank you for supporting chapel schools by Thomas Kellner
A especial thank you goes to city of Neuenkirchen for supporting this project. A thank you for pre-orders of books to Mayor of Siegen, Steffen Mues, as well as to the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, EJOT, BGH, Vetter and Georg Maschinenfabrik..
