About the event
An exchange between Dunkirk (Hauts-de-France) and Krefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) featuring the respective collections of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld and the Frac Grand Large.Through the exhibition “MUSÉES HORS FRONTIÈRES,” the Frac Grand Large highlights the pioneering role of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, and design. Moving beyond a chronological framework, the exhibition is organized around major thematic groups drawn from the museum’s collection, offering a critical approach to the history of art in the 20th and 21st centuries, encompassing its aesthetic, social, and political dimensions. From early 20th-century advertising art to Bauhaus works, from the experimental avant-garde movements of the 1960s to more recent commissioned works, the exhibition explores the connections between modern art and industrial production, as well as the parallels with the architecture of Mies van der Rohe’s two villas: Haus Lange and Haus Esters. By bringing together archives, historical works, and contemporary proposals, “MUSÉES HORS FRONTIÈRES” invites us to reflect on the ways we inhabit space and on the role of today’s public collection—as both a tool for memory, a vehicle for knowledge, and a constantly evolving critical space. “MUSÉES HORS FRONTIÈRES” is the second part of an exhibition that was initially held from April 28 to September 8, 2024, in Krefeld, featuring a selection of works from the Frac Grand Large collection, curated by Katia Baudin, director of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld. To mark the 50th anniversary in 2024 of the sister-city relationship between Dunkirk and Krefeld, an exceptional dialogue has emerged between the Regional Contemporary Art Fund and the Kunstmuseen Krefeld, giving rise to this cross-exhibition of their collections. This project draws on the history of both institutions—shaped by their industrial contexts—and on their collections, which focus on the evolution of the applied arts and design. It highlights the richness of artistic exchanges between France and Germany in the 20th and 21st centuries, the role of art in industry, artists’ critical engagement with social and ecological issues, and their commitment to envisioning alternatives and creating new possibilities. Each institution has chosen to highlight unique moments that have shaped the history of art and design by inviting the other’s collection to take residence in remarkable architectural settings—spaces that are as much physical as they are symbolic. In Krefeld in 2024, the venues were the Bauhaus villas Haus Lange and Haus Esters by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; for the 2026 exhibition in Dunkirk, the exhibition will occupy all spaces within the contemporary building designed by Lacaton & Vassal, with an extension to the Villa Cavrois, located in Croix within the European Metropolis of Lille and designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens. Far from being a one-off project, “MUSÉES HORS FRONTIÈRES” is designed as a long-term platform for exchange—a vehicle for development that is mindful of the challenges of sustainability and social cohesion for both regions.
