Exhibition "WEG! Neuanfang – Altanfang, Hartmanni Gymnasium" (GONE! New beginning – Old beginning, Hartmanni High School) in the gallery in the town hall

The exhibition “WEG! New Beginning – Old Beginning, Hartmanni High School” will be on view from July 23, 2026, through October 2, 2027, at the gallery in the Eppingen Town Hall. This year, the upper school students of Hartmanni-Gymnasium are guests at the gallery in City Hall. Under the theme “WEG! A New Beginning – A Return to the Past,” the students explore the art of Giotto di Bondone and Francis Bacon. The title deliberately alludes to a double meaning as well as to the contrasting positions of the two artists: “Weg” as a new beginning, development, and movement—but also as a decisive “Weg!”, meaning to push away, reject, or leave behind. At the center of the works is the human figure in the context of its surroundings. This refers to the relationship between body and space, between outward appearance and inner expression, as well as the question of how identity manifests itself in various artistic forms. While Giotto is regarded as a pioneer of the Renaissance who broke away from Byzantine icon painting, thereby imbuing his figures with a new form of emotionality, the figures of his colleague Francis Bacon—born some six centuries later—appear distorted, fragmented, and as expressions of inner states: more emotion and expression than external narrative. The students explore these areas of tension and develop their own works that oscillate between approximation, transformation, and dissolution, translating them into contemporary forms of expression. In addition to frescoes, paintings, and photographic documentation, a performance titled “WEG!” will be presented on the market square on opening day. The exhibition runs through October 2, 2026, and can be viewed during City Hall’s opening hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and additionally on Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Admission is free! We cordially invite you to the exhibition opening on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the gallery at City Hall. Speakers will include Mayor Klaus Holaschke and Sarah Lehnert in conversation with art teacher Jule Doll. The meeting point is the market square. Musical accompaniment: muse-band (Jolina Albert, vocals; Thibault Brux, guitar; and Linus Wild, percussion) muse I Musikschule Eppingen e.V.