21 x 21. RuhrKunstMuseen auf dem Hügel: More than 43,000 Visitors Experienced the Diversity of RuhrKunstMuseen at Villa Hügel
The exhibition “21 x 21. RuhrKunstMuseen auf dem Hügel” concluded on Sunday, 27 July, marking the end of a truly unique project: for the first time, all 21 museums from the Ruhr area presented a joint selection from their collections, bringing the artistic diversity of the Ruhr region to a central venue. More than 43,000 visitors took the opportunity to experience outstanding works from 21 museum collections at Villa Hügel in Essen. The exhibition featured high-calibre modern and contemporary pieces from institutions across the region, creating surprising and inspiring dialogues among the works.
“Nowhere else in the world is there such a high concentration of top-class cultural institutions as in the Ruhr region. We can proudly say that the opportunities to experience art and culture here are exceptional on an international scale! Curating this exhibition at Villa Hügel was an art in itself. From the very beginning, I was a fan of the concept. We saw familiar works in new constellations and discovered new ones as well. This show was like a window into the region’s rich museum landscape – and it left us wanting more!” — Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Villa Hügel once again proved to be both a magnet and a space for resonance. This historic site – a symbol of industrial ascent and transformation in the Ruhr region – is owned by the Krupp Foundation, which preserves it as a place of encounter, history, and art, open to the public. “21 x 21” was the 60th exhibition at Villa Hügel. It powerfully illustrated how closely industrial and art history are interwoven in the region, and at the same time, highlighted the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to the Ruhr at its very headquarters.
Although the exhibition has ended, the project continues in digital form: the web app www.21×21.de invites users to explore the collections of all 21 museums from the Ruhr region online.
“21 x 21. RuhrKunstMuseen auf dem Hügel” is a project of the RuhrKunstMuseen and was supported by: Krupp Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, RAG-Stiftung, and Regionalverband Ruhr.