Daimler Art Collection shows works in Brescia

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The Daimler Art Collection will provide outstanding works for an exhibition next year at the Museo di Santa Giulia museum in Brescia, Italy. Daimler AG and the city of Brescia have signed a letter of intent to this effect. The exhibition will comprise twentieth century and contemporary international works of art.

This high-level show has been made possible thanks to the cooperation between the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia, which works hand-in-hand with the Museo di Santa Giulia. The Museo di Santa Giulia itself is located in a Lombard monastery which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This distinction links it with Daimler AG, because the patent document of the Benz motor car, which is kept in the Daimler’s archives, is likewise part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Anders Sundt Jensen (Head of Mercedes-Benz Brand Communication), Michael Bock (Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic) and Dr Renate Wiehager (Head of the Daimler Art Collection) signed the declaration of intent together with the Mayor of Brescia, Adriano Paroli, and the Director General of Brescia, Alessandro Triboldi.

When organising the show and planning the surrounding programme, Daimler and the city of Brescia were able to profit from the existing cooperation between the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Mille Miglia Museum. This fruitful partnership has also given birth to the current special exhibition, “Mille Miglia – Passion and Rivalry”, which is on show at the Mercedes-Benz Museum until 6 January 2013. Mercedes-Benz Italy will also be involved in the project.

The Daimler Art Collection

- This collection founded in 1977 comprises more than 2,000 works by around 700 German and international artists
- Focus on abstract-constructive, conceptual and minimalist works, as well as commissioned works of vehicles, photography and video art
- Part of corporate policy and Daimler’s cultural involvement

The Daimler Art Collection is dedicated to twentieth century art and contemporary international art. It was founded in 1977 and now comprises over 2,000 works by around 700 artists of both German and international renown. It focuses on abstract-constructive, conceptual and minimalist works.

The collection, with its quality and presence at different Daimler locations, demonstrates how art has become an integral part of the social identity and cultural profile of the company.
In 1999, the collection moved for the first time into its own exhibition space. Known as the Daimler Contemporary, these 600 square metres are housed in the elaborately renovated Haus Huth on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Collections with different focal points are shown here every three months together with new acquisitions. There are also smaller displays of works by individual artists as well as special exhibitions.

The Museo di Santa Giulia municipal museum

- A modern, 14,000 square-metre exhibition area
- Brescia’s history, art and spirituality from early times up to today
- Close relationship between buildings and exhibits

Brescia’s Santa Giulia municipal museum is located in a historic Langobardic complex of monastery buildings and is unique in Italy and Europe in its design and location. With its exhibition areas covering around 14,000 square metres it offers a journey through Brescia’s history, art and spirituality from ancient times to the present day.

The Benedictine convent of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia was founded in 753 by the last Langobardic king, Desiderius and his wife Ansa. It occupied a role of great religious, political and economic importance, which continued after the Langobards defeat by Charlemagne. According to tradition, the dramatic story of Ermengarda, daughter of Desiderius and spurned bride of the Frankish emperor, was played out in Santa Giulia; it was recounted by Alessandro Manzoni in his work “Adelchi”.

The monastery complex documents a period of several centuries, exhibiting many remarkable finds from various historical epochs which have made their mark on the city. In Roman times there was an extensive city district on the area of the later monastery, with significant town houses, the so-called Domus. The municipal museum also includes the Langobardic Basilica San Salvatore with its crypt, the Romanesque Oratorium (chapel) of Santa Maria del Solario, the Nuns’ Choir, the sixteenth century Renaissance church of Santa Giulia, and the cloisters.

The museum’s special distinguishing feature is the close relationship between the historic buildings and the exhibits, which number around 11,000 and include Celtic finds such as helmets and ornamental jewellery, Roman portraits and bronze figures, Langobardic items, burial objects, frescos, art collections and hand-made items from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. A central piece is the winged victory goddess, a bronze statue which was found in the Capitolium and is a symbol of the city of Brescia.

Did you know?

Two outstanding exhibitions will be taking place this autumn:

“Mille Miglia – Leidenschaft und Rivalität” (“Mille Miglia – Passion and Rivalry”) at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, from 10 October 2012 to 6 January 2013.

“Silver Arrows 1934-1939” at the Louwman Museum, The Hague, the Netherlands, from 11 October 2012 to 6 January 2013.

Credits: Daimler AG

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