Oberstdorf - “Die Südliche”, the annual exhibition of artists from the Oberallgäu district and the Kleinwalsertal, is a guest in Oberstdorf.
The “Südliche” almost had to forego the presence of its award winners this year.
Artist Dr.
Heike Hüttenkofer was stuck on the island of Amrum because of a storm warning and was unable to see the Allgäuer Sparkasse's “first purchase” of her picture.
This year's winner of the Johann Georg Grimm Prize, Kim Nekarda, was also absent from the vernissage at Villa Jauss.
And the recipient of the same award from last year - only now given due to Corona - only just noticed that the award ceremony was taking place.
He almost forgot the appointment, said Jan Peter Tripp, winner of the Johann Georg Grimm Prize 2020, in his acceptance speech.
The artist, born in Oberstdorf in 1945, is known as a painter far beyond the borders of Germany.
"Humility" moves into the Sparkasse Kempten
His father Franz Josef Tripp created the illustrations for the children's books “Räuber Hotzenplotz”, “Das Kleine Gespenst” and “Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer”.
The works of the son, Jan Peter, can be assigned to realism.
And so at the vernissage in the Villa Jauss you could watch over and over again how people stopped, came very close to the four Tripp pictures exhibited there and were amazed when they discovered that they were really paintings and not color photographs.
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The picture “Humility” by the artist Dr.
Heike Hüttenkofer from Memmingen was bought by the Sparkasse Allgäu.
© Lena Fuhrmann
The picture “Humility” by Dr.
Heike Hüttenkofer from Memmingen.
"We are not art connoisseurs," admitted Heribert Schwarz from the Allgäuer Sparkasse, who bought the picture, "but we always choose works that lead to a dialogue."
The painting will take over this task in the future in the Sparkasse Allgäu when it moves from the Villa Jauss to the office of Ms. Louis in Kempten.
New curator Wolfgang Keßler
There was also a move - or rather a change - at the head of the “southerners”.
After 16 years as curator of the show, W. Gunther le Maire handed over to Wolfgang Keßler.
Oberstdorf's mayor, Klaus King, presented le Maire with a “warming gift” for “appreciating his commitment and the excellent organization”.
With a view to the emergence of the "southerners", their aspirations and success, le Maire referred to the quality of the works presented: "We want to make a performance exhibition."
There is no shortage of talent in the southern Oberallgäu, because it has the greatest density of artists in the Allgäu and that for several centuries, according to the co-founder of the "Südlichen".
One artist - four works
Under the umbrella of the cultural community Oberallgäu, the art exhibition is organized by the artists themselves and financially responsible.
The cities of Sonthofen and Immenstadt and the market town of Oberstdorf provide the premises as ideal sponsors.
The artists are invited to take part in the show and choose the four works to be presented themselves.
This distinguishes the “Südliche” from other exhibitions, where pictures are submitted and judged beforehand.
This year 36 artists are taking part in the 19th annual exhibition.
You come from or live in the Oberallgäu district and the Kleinwalsertal.
Every year a "historical guest" - a former artistic personality from the region - is presented.
This year it is Prof. Paul Hans Ohmert (1890-1960), formerly a student of Max Liebermann.
The exhibition is open from Saturday, October 23 to Wednesday, November 17, and again from Thursday, December 16, to Sunday, January 9, 2022.
Opening times at www.villa-jauss.de/ausstellungen.
