You Are Faust

FASCINATION FAUST

Faust’s pact with the devil, his seduction of Margareta, his disastrous betrayal and self-oblivion in the wanton rites of Walpurgis Night, Margareta’s social ostracism, her despairing infanticide and tragic descent into madness: over the centuries, all these scenes have suffused European culture and inspired very different forms of engagement around the world. Each of the three protagonists has achieved enormous popularity in the arts: the flamboyant character of Mephisto, both fiendish seducer and quick-witted rogue, Faust the scholar, who – disillusioned by his futile search for supreme knowledge – allows himself to be enticed into a world of ecstasy, and the chaste and pious burger’s daughter, Margareta, who is lured by Faust to her doom.

FAUST – THAT’S ALL OF US

The exhibition follows the plot of the drama, which is brought to life in outstanding artworks. In the process, Goethe’s protagonists expose society’s weaknesses, as topics like the cult of youth, egotism, manipulation, corruptibility and an insatiable need for gratification also dominate everyday life. The exhibition confronts the audience with the drama’s as yet unanswered issues; after all, Faust still resonates today.

In cooperation between the Kunsthalle Munich and the Marbach Weimar Wolfenbüttel Research Association, the exhibition was developed exclusively for the Kunsthalle with the generous support of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. The presentation of the exhibition was conceptualised in collaboration with Philipp Fürhofer, set designer and artist.

Official hashtags of the exhibition:
#KunsthalleMuc #DubistFaust #YouareFaust