BOOMTOWN NEWS
On the 100th birthday of Karl Weschke
The Sprengel Museum Hannover honors the German-British painter Karl Weschke (1925-2005), who was almost unknown in his home country, on his 100th birthday.
Although Karl Weschke is one of the most important German painters of the post-war period, his works are collected worldwide and hang in all the major museums in Great Britain, including eight works in the Tate Gallery alone, he is still hardly known to anyone in his native Germany. To mark the anniversary, various exhibitions are being held in Germany and abroad, for example in Dublin, at the University of Plymouth and in Weschke's home town of Gera. The Sprengel Museum Hannover is taking part in the celebrations in cooperation with the artist's granddaughter, Saskia Renner, who lives in Hannover, and is organizing a themed afternoon dedicated to the extraordinary artist on 21 June 2025.
Significant companions and friends from film and television will have their say, the documentary “Karl Weschke - Myth of a Life” by Thomas Grube will be shown and afterwards there will be a reception in the Calder Hall of the museum.
THE SPEAKERS
THOMAS GRUBE
Born 1971 in Berlin, German author, director and film producer. Together with his partner Uwe Dierks, he founded the production company Boomtown Media, which has produced numerous documentaries on cultural topics with a focus on art and classical music. For his film “Rythhm is it” about Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which is one of the most successful German documentaries of all time, he received the German Film Award in 2005. “Karl Weschke - Myth of a Life” was Grube and Dierks' first joint production and they have remained friends ever since.
THOMAS SCHREIBER
Born in Cologne in 1959. German journalist and Managing Director of ARD subsidiary Degeto Film since 2021. Previously editor at Tagesschau and Tagesthemen, correspondent for NDR and WDR in London, head of the NDR culture program area, head of the ARD fiction & entertainment program area, production manager of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Outstanding productions such as “Die Päpstin” or “Babylon Berlin”. Numerous awards (German Television Award 2008, 2010, 2011, Echo 2011). Schreiber met Karl Weschke in the late 1990s through their mutual friend and writer John le Carré and initiated the documentary film about him.
Screening of the film “Karl Weschke - Mythos eines Lebens” (NDR/Arte 2000) German, 52 min. followed by a reception in the Calder Hall until 6 p.m.
EVENT DATES
Saturday, June 21, 2025 Time: 15:00-18:00
Location: Sprengel Museum Hanover, Calder Hall
Admission: Museum admission (7 euros, reduced 4 euros)
With the kind support of Marktkirche Hannover, Hackerodt Stiftung, Schostok Creative Consulting, Leine Trends Hannover, Hannover Bristol Gesellschaft