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Since it was founded in 1987, the Portikus in Frankfurt am Main
has firmly established its reputation as a critical forum for
contemporary art. Its regional and international acclaim is based
on a concept that seeks to maintain a direct correlation between
the venue and the exhibition programme so that there is a distinct
interaction between the architecture and the art it houses. An
important element in this respect is the facade of the former
municipal library, a neoclassical building designed by Johann
Friedrich Christian Hess which was destroyed in the second world
war, leaving only the portico from which the venue takes its
name. The neutrality and functionality of the actual exhibition
area, built along the lines of an industrial freight container,
sets a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint to the ostentatious facade.
Visitors entering the Portikus are immediately confronted with
the works on display. The Portikus in its present form was designed
by architects Marie-Theres Deutsch and Klaus Dreißigacker,
former students of the Städel art school.
In more than 70 exhibitions and publications, the Portikus has
presented a broad range of creative concepts and current trends
in contemporary art. Work by artists of international repute
has alternated with the work of interesting newcomers. All the
exhibitions are accompanied by publications documenting not only
the respective exhibition but also the research interests of
the artists themselves.
The Portikus operates under the patronage of the Städel
art school, with which it has very close links, and is actively
involved in the Frankfurt arts scene as a whole. It is therefore
hardly surprising that the Portikus has come to be regarded by
many as the epitome of the "new" exhibition venue.
Indeed, its pared-down low-budget approach has become something
of a byword in the art world. Municipal funding was axed in 1993,
and is not even listed with a peppercorn subsidy of DM 1.- in
the city's 1996 financial plan. Needless to say, the Portikus,
with its delicate balance between quality output and minimal
input (small staff, shoestring budget) has been hard hit by this
lack of funding. In an unprecedented move, artists who had previously
exhibited at the Portikus came to the rescue by donating works
for auction by Sotheby's in June 1994, with proceeds going to
the Portikus. We are deeply indebted to the artists for this
show of solidarity and our sense of commitment to them has fuelled
our determination to survive the lean years. We wish to thank
everyone who has agreed to help us in 1996, and we hope we can
find more sponsors for our forthcoming projects.
We wish to thank the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam (no.70),
Siemens Cultural Programme, Munich (no.71), Kruse Security Systems,
Hamburg (no.71), The British Council (no.72), the DG Bank, Frankfurt
(no.74), The Finnish Fund for Art Exchange/ Frame (no.74), and
the Hessian Cultural Foundation, Wiesbaden (no.76) for their
financial support.
(Photo: Horst Ziegenfusz)
