World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks
European Centre for Art and Industry Culture
General director Prof Dr Meinrad Maria Grewenig
"Generation Pop! … hear me, feel me, love me!"
World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks ,
Blower Hall
Until Sunday15th June 2014, theWorld Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworkscarrys its visitors off and away into the world of pop. Featuring around 1,500 exhibits, amongst them cult objects from pop stars such as Elvis Presley, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Eminem, "Generation Pop!" is the most significant exhibition project of our times on the phenomenon of pop. Seven theme spaces on the pop culture of the 50s, 60s and 70s, up to the 21st century make the feeling of life of the generation of pop - that was so moulded by music and pop culture - truly palpable. The largest machine in the world, the Blower Hall of the World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks displays it all in the most appropriate and perfect ambience.
"Generation Pop!"is an emotional journey through time, following the traces of pop over an exhibition space of more than 6,000 m2. Narrated by objects and images in multi-media it also produces the 'sound' of generations. In an age of upheaval, in which the digital revolution changed our perceptions "Generation Pop!" shows how the life-feeling of generations was indelibly marked and shaped by pop music and pop culture."Generation Pop!" is an exhibition of great feelings with lots of music. Simultaneously it is an historical overview that focuses on the feeling of life from Elvis Presley to Lady Gaga.
"Pop isthe cultural engine of the 20th century. From the moment Elvis swivelled his hips 60 years agoand gave body to the new entertainment music he also created the universal user interface of our civilisation. "Generation Pop! … hear me, feel me, love me!"narrates this processand out of this -just how we were, what we are. "Generation Pop!" inthe World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks is the exhibition, journey of experience and the dream of the longings and fantasies of our generation. The fact is that, fundamentally, we are all rock'n'rollers", says Meinrad Maria Grewenig, general director of the World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks.
First and foremost, pop is pop music and the emotional worlds created out of it. The history of pop culture is the history of pop icons such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Madonna. "Generation Pop" tells this story. The exhibition is also an archaeology of pop culture that stretches right up to today's multi-media worlds of Facebook and Youtube. Similar to the manner in which the cult objects of the Celts gave us an idea of their lives, revealing the exhibits from the mid-20th century to now in "Generation Pop!" tells us what formed us and what is shaping us now.
"Generation Pop!" in the World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks reveals what has gone on in the decades from 1950 on. Fashion, furniture, cars and the culture of the jukebox: all of this relates how we lived from the 1950s on to the 21st century - and how we felt about it. "Generation Pop!"is a collage of the feelings of the various decades. Of particular pertinence here are the inventions - from Edison's phonograph to the iPhone -which actually made the world of pop possible. "Generation Pop!" presents pop-culture as an epoch of humanity whose cultural impulses were sustained by a persistent dynamism of inventions such as the radio, the contraceptive pill and the internet.
During the exhibition in the 500 square metres of the compressor hall, right next to the Blower Hall,allHa theWorld Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks has set up a "pop gallery". Here new aspects of the pop universe have been turned into themes parallel to the course of the exhibition. Individual themes are elaborated and exhibited in the framework of an accompanying exhibition. In this manner the "pop gallery" extends the overview exhibition in the Blower Hall. The pop gallery of the World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks begins by presenting the rediscovered pop art of Josef Wittlich. "AvantPop – Josef Wittlich" tells the incredible story of an industrial worker from Westerwald who was painting when Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Mel Ramos were still wrapped in swaddling clothes. Only through pure coincidence was this precursor of pop discovered for the world of art.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a contextual programme of lectures and concerts.
For the exhibition a top class academic advisory board headed by Meinrad Maria Grewenig consisting of pop experts Ernst Hofacker, Roland Helm and Peter Meyer has been appointed.Ernst Hofacker is a music journalist and author. Amongst his music journalist posts he has written for, Rolling Stone, Musikexpress, Guitar, Goodtimes, Sounds and Guitar Dreams. He has published books such as "Confessin‘ The Blues – die Musik der Rolling Stones 1963-2010" and "Von Edison bis Elvis – wie die Popmusik erfunden wurde" ("From Edison to Elvis – how pop music was invented"). Roland Helm isprogramme group head of production/sounddesignfor SR 1 and "UnserDing"of Saarländischen Rundfunks (Saarland Broadcasting – SR) and editor and presenter of the culture programme "Abendrot". He co-wrote the book"Saar Rock History" with Norbert Küntzeron rock music in Saarland and was initiator of the eponymous exhibition at the Historischen Museum Saar (Saar Historical Museum). Peter Meyer is press officer for the Saarländischen Rundfunk (Saarland Broadcasting – SR)and head of SR communication. He was the head ofthe electronic music festival "Electricity" in Saarbrücken.
Media partner of the exhibition "Generation Pop! … hear me, feel me, love me!" in theWorld Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks isthe Saarländische Rundfunk.
Generation Pop!
… hear me, feel me, love me!
World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks , Blower Hall
Until 15th June 2014
Opening hours:
Summer: from 10am to 7pm daily
Winter: from 10am to 6pm daily
Entrance: 12 €
Concessions: 10 €
Children and youths in school groups 3 €
Families (2 adults with children or youths up to 16) 25 €
Visitors' service:
Tel. +49 (0) 6898 / 9 100 100
Fax +49 (0) 6898 / 9 100 111
World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks
European Centre for Art and Industry Culture
66302 Völklingen / Saarbrücken
Contact personnel: Karl-Heinrich Veith M.A., Jocelyne Pallu, Dr Armin Leidinger
Tel. 06898/9100-100, Fax 06898/9100-111