Travel. Hardly any other topic better reflects our current situation between lockdown and longing. Within closed borders and closed societies, when things that were taken for granted plummet into prohibitions, the desire to leave and break out grows. Rethinking is necessary. To find new ways, to test and take them – not only when travelling – is the challenge of our time.

With Bon Voyage! Travelling in Contemporary Art, the Ludwig Forum for International Art presents a selection of artistic positions that focus on travelling. We invite you to see the world through the eyes of the artists who often move off the beaten tourist tracks. The suitcases are packed with personal challenges, extreme experiences of political as well as climatic nature, fictional, and virtual mental journeys, and the last journey into the afterlife, which does without suitcases.

With around 100 works, the exhibition follows the routes of more than 60 artists and shows a selection of artistic positions from the 1960s to the present. Through paintings, installations, videos, objects, photographs, and prints, the exhibition provides an insight into the fascination and significance of travel in contemporary art at five stopovers.

i. a. Marina Abramović & Ulay, Francis Alÿs, Shūsaku Arakawa, Kader Attia, Lothar Baumgarten, Janet Bellotto, Joseph Beuys, Christoph Brech, Stanley Brouwn, Peter Brüning, Michael Buthe, Julian Charrière, Kate Crawford & Vladan Joler, Ivan S. Čujkov, Walter Dahn, Hélène Delprat, Simon Faithfull, Mareike Foecking, Jerry Frantz, Gerard Garouste, Philipp Goldbach, Nancy Graves, Manaf Halbouni, Michael Heizer, Jochem Hendricks, Klara Hobza, Stefan Huber, Jean-Olivier Hucleux, Cécile Hummel, Matthew Day Jackson, Sven Johne, Dagmar Keller & Martin Wittwer, Fabian Knecht, Svetlana Kopystiansky, Till Krause, Norbert Kottmann, Alicja Kwade, Talisa Lallai, Via Lewandoswky, Richard Long, Hiroyuki Masuyama, Duane Michals, Roman Ondak, A. R. Penck, Michail Pirgelis, Dani Ploeger, Anne Pöhlmann, Jon Rafman, Michael Snow, Nicole Schuck, Stefan Sous, Vera Sous, Katrin Ströbel & Mohammed Laouli, Timm Ulrichs, Wolfgang von Contzen, Christoph Westermeier, Francesca Woodman.

The exhibition is accompanied by a brochure with numerous illustrations and a travel blog on the Internet, as well as by an extensive supporting and workshop programme for all age groups.

Curated by Alexandra Kolossa
Curatorial assistance: Marie Gentges