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Site of the Düsseldorf court of honor and possible location of a federal photo institute: concern of the state capital of becoming the victim of a "dubious incident".
Photo: Hans Blossey / imago images / Hans Blossey
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Keller, there has been a dispute for months about whether a federal institute for photography would be better located in Düsseldorf or in Essen.
Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters is organizing a quality talk in Berlin today - but you declined the invitation.
Why?
Keller:
It's not that simple.
It was I who asked Ms. Grütters to get everyone involved quickly to the table, she wanted to comply, but then took her time.
At some point we received an invitation, but we still don't have an agenda.
And the circle of those invited seemed very one-sided to us - for each meal.
SPIEGEL:
Do you suspect an alibi event?
Keller:
At least the impression was strengthened that this round is biased and that the date serves to enforce the Essen location.
Weeks ago I made suggestions as to how the group could be cast in a more balanced way, and that was rejected.
Last Friday I proposed an online meeting between Ms. Grütters and myself to discuss these things.
Of course, Essen's Lord Mayor and the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister for Science and Culture could also have attended.
SPIEGEL:
And?
Keller:
That was rejected.
So I canceled.
SPIEGEL:
The photographer Andreas Gursky, one of the initiators of such an institute in Düsseldorf, will not appear either.
One could understand your two refusals as an affront.
You now give the impression that you were snubbed first.
Keller:
It was like that too.
We made this clear months ago, although we are ready for a compromise that takes both cities into account.
Since the money from the Bundestag and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia was originally only intended for Düsseldorf, this is a great concession.
SPIEGEL: In
a press release today you called the developments around the photo institute a “more than dubious process”.
What do you mean by that specifically?
more on the subject
Andreas Gursky and Moritz Wegwerth in a double interview: "This is how photography becomes immortal" An interview by Ulrike Knöfel and Stefan Weigel
Planned center for photography: Rhine or not RhineBy Ulrike Knöfel and Stefan Weigel
Keller:
It is remarkable that Ms. Grütters, a minister of state in the federal government, ignores the clear will of parliament.
In 2019, the budget committee of the Bundestag promised the necessary money specifically for the establishment of a photo institute in Düsseldorf.
And so it has so far not been possible to redirect this sum of 41.5 million euros and the equally high co-financing of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, because the local parliament has also earmarked its share for Düsseldorf.
SPIEGEL:
Following the decision of the budget committee at the end of 2019, Grütters set up a commission of experts and then initiated a feasibility study.The result was in each case: It should be food.
Keller:
But consider: The study on the location was based only on the Grüttian concept - that is, food - and not our Düsseldorf concept.
We see Düsseldorf as a center of contemporary photographic art, the institute should dedicate itself to the present and future of photography, conduct research and network with industry for this purpose.
In Essen, Ms. Grütters has more of a kind of federal archive in mind - or as she once called it with reference to the German Literature Archive: a “Marbach of Photography”.
SPIEGEL:
Prime Minister Armin Laschet also emphasized at the end of 2019 that it was a great success that the photo institute would come to Düsseldorf.
Is he, meanwhile a candidate for chancellor of the CDU, being duped by the CDU Minister of State for Culture in the middle of the federal election campaign?
Keller:
I trust that the state of North Rhine-Westphalia will take Düsseldorf into account.
If we implement both locations, the entire state could benefit.
I expect that will be supported.
SPIEGEL:
But having two locations instead of one means that everything will be more expensive than planned.
Düsseldorf is expected to cost over 80 million euros, while Essen is set to cost 125 million euros.
Keller:
That would of course have to be increased.
€ 80 million plus a sum of x, but certainly not plus € 125 million.
Unfortunately, Essen has withdrawn from the joint planning process, otherwise we would already know more.
SPIEGEL:
Would it be Essen alone, would you feel cheated out of a chance for your city?
Keller:
Yes, that would be a strange result.
But after the clear decision of the Committee on Budgets, I have no idea how that should be possible.