“Guardians of the Lost Treasure” – A Bird’s-Eye View of the Museum guards
A Living Sound and Spatial Installation

Ms. Bjeblobrk, Mr. Dahle, Mr. Dittmer, Mr. Hackmann, Mr. Kohröde, and Ms. Piel are usually trying to be as invisible as possible. Yet, in their own unique way, they are probably among the most knowledgeable people at the museum Kunsthalle Bremen. They are the “guardians,” or, as they are officially known, museum guards. A Bird’s-Eye View of the Museum guards offers an insight into their treasure trove of memories: their personal experiences with artists, artworks, visitors, colleagues and supervisors, and with the museum itself.

At the entrance to a scaled-down replica of the Kunsthalle, visitors can gain a first impression through headphones. Personal interviews conducted by Dina Koper with the museum guards have been transformed into sound installations.

Inside the replica, which corresponds to the gallery floor of the Kunsthalle Bremen as a schematic three-dimensional “drawing,” visitors are welcomed by two of the attendants at a time. Through direct conversation, they share the “treasure of experience” accumulated by the guardians over the years.

By reducing the setting to the bare architectural space and facilitating direct encounters with those who usually remain unseen, the installation draws attention to treasures that might otherwise have been irretrievably “lost.”