Anniversary exhibition: Max Imdahl and contemporary art in Bochum!

Anniversary exhibition: Max Imdahl and contemporary art in Bochum!

On May 27, 2025, the Ruhr University Bochum will announce a remarkable event: the university's art collections and the Art History Institute will celebrate two important anniversaries. On the one hand, it is the 100th birthday of Max Imdahl, the first full professor of art history, and on the other hand, the 50th anniversary of the campus museum. These celebrations will be recognized by a special exhibition opening on June 5, 2025.

The exhibition entitled "Past Present. Max Imdahl and the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection" will be on view until January 11, 2026. It is a joint project of the Art History Institute and the art collections of the Ruhr University and promises to present the importance of Imdahl for art history in detail. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., entry is free.

Opening and panel discussion

The official opening of the exhibition will take place on June 4, 2025 from 5 p.m., accompanied by a panel discussion. The discussants include Carolin Behrmann from the Ruhr University, Gerd Blum from the Münster Art Academy and Britta Hochkirchen from the FU Berlin. The Chancellor of the Ruhr University, Christina Reinhardt, will open the exhibition at 6 p.m. Carolin Behrmann and Britta Hochkirchen are responsible for the scientific supervision.

Alexia Pooth is responsible for curatorial supervision of the exhibition, supported by a group of students who are actively involved in the process. These include Daisy-Anna Cwikla, Maike Dollendorf and Nico Kröger, to name just a few. In addition to the exhibition, an extensive accompanying program is also planned, which will further inspire visitors.

Max Imdahl: A life for art history

Max Imdahl, born in 1925, was not only an outstanding art historian, but also the son of Hermann Peter Josef Imdahl. After attending the Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium in Aachen, he began studying at the University of Münster after the war, where he received his doctorate in 1951 and completed his habilitation in 1960. From 1965 he taught art history at the Ruhr University in Bochum.

Imdahl's research focused on major art movements and styles, including the medieval Ottonian period, as well as Giotto's painting and the Dutch Baroque. He exposed a methodology of image-appropriate interpretation that became known as iconism. Despite some critical voices that viewed him as an outsider, he was a formative figure in art historiography and influenced numerous art historians.

Imdahl's commitment to art education is still evident today, for example through the Max Imdahl scholarship introduced in 1993 and the visiting professorship at the Ruhr University that bears his name, which was established in 2011. In addition, his legacy remains alive, for example through the “Situation Art – for Max Imdahl” memorial in the park of Haus Weitmar in Bochum and through the innovative approach to art in current teaching.

Offers for students

In the context of the celebrations and Imdahl's influence, a wide range of lectures on art history will also be offered at the art university in Austria. This includes the course “Modern Art: Global Perspectives”, led by Eva Kernbauer, which deals with the political and economic upheavals from 1800 to 1950.

This lecture offers students the opportunity to engage with global art developments and addresses, among other things, the influence of non-Western art and the role of creative practices in a constantly changing social context.

With this combination of celebrations and new educational offerings, Max Imdahl's legacy is not only honored, but also actively carried forward.

For information about the exhibition and other offers, please see the explanations on the website Ruhr University Bochum, the Wikipedia as well as the University of Applied Arts to learn more about the exciting developments in art history.