On September 13th Ian Berry will open an exhibition at the birthplace of the inventor of the modern jean, Levi Strauss. In a museum that looks back over the life of one of the world's most iconic names, it will also examine the years of Ian Berry's work who of course makes all of his work out of the material so synonymous with the man who emigrated from Germany to make his fortune: Denim jeans
Details
13 Sept - 8 November 2020
Marktstr. 31-33 96155 Buttenheim
Phone: +49 95 45 - 44 26 02
email: levi-strauss-museum(at)buttenheim.de
For the last 15 years Ian has been crafting his work out of the indigo dyed textile and this will commence two years of museum shows for the Yorkshire born artist. Many works will be on display including from the Behind Closed Doors and Hotel California collections and the exhibition will help mark the special 20th Anniversary of the museum.
'When Dr Tanja Roppelt the curator got in touch with me a couple of years ago it made sense - the old romantic in me loved the idea of the work showing in the birthplace (of Levi Strauss)
‘Together with other the museum shows we managed to loan works back from clients who have collected over the years to show a range of the work, as well as showing the development. With many of the other locations having a textile or denim history past, it is so fitting to show here at the birthplace of the man who made denim what it is today as well as for myself to step back and reflect on my career with the material.' Said Ian Berry
It will be Berry's first showing of his work in Germany and he will be there to meet the guests at the opening that will of course be under social distancing rules.
An exhibit at the Levi Strauss museum in Buttenheim and Levi Strauss.
About the Museum
In the spring of 1983 a lady from Milwaukee, was trying to organize a “German Fest” and wrote to the former Mayor of Buttenheim, asking for information about the birth of Levi Strauss. This started intensive research to be conducted in the register of births and deaths of the Jewish community of Buttenheim and the emigration documents of the Bamberg state archives and finally it proved that Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. He was born with the name Loeb in 1829 and in 1847 he would emigrate to the USA and by 1850 took on the Americanized name Levi - and what would become one of the most famous names in the world.
This discovery initiated the founding of a museum.
Further research found that the original birth house of Levi Strauss was still standing. It is one of only a few preserved objects from his life and one of the oldest houses in Buttenheim. The district council decided to buy the house in 1987, which was built approximately in 1687 and today is classified as a historical monument. An elaborate renovation of the dilapidated half-timbered house began, during which the house of birth of Levi Strauss was reconstructed as true to the original as possible. The idea to donate a museum to the history of indigo and denim took shape.
The museum opened in September 2000 and revolves around the world’s most famous pair of pants. With the biography of Levi Strauss, visitors can gain an insight into the lives of rural Franconian Jewish Community, the world of the immigrants, the beginnings of the textile industry and of course, all about the phenomenon of jeans. Short films, audio guides (in many languages), moving graphics and a collection of different pieces made from the legendary blue cotton cloth show the development of the jeans that serves as a meeting point for the curious, collectors, specialists and jean-wearers of every age. The museum also shows the struggles of a Franconian Jew in the 19th century, the hardships of a German immigrant in America, the boom of the textile industry and the history of jeans, all while honouring the tremendous accomplishments of Levi Strauss the man.
Sleeping Alone I, denim on denim, 2016
After over a decade of success, the Museum planned to begin its next chapter by adding on an extension to the Levi Strauss birth house. With the help of Levi’s great-grandnephew, Dr. Douglas Goldman in California, the Museum was ceremoniously opened on May 21st, 2011, marking the beginning of a new phase in the Museum’s history.
When the Museum opened back in 2000, hardly anyone anticipated its rapid success. Nevertheless, both Museum guests and professionals has seen the Levi Strauss Museum become a popular success and going strong in its 20th year. Every year, thousands of people visit Buttenheim from all over the world in order to experience the Museum and see where the idea of Jeans all began. Due to the high number of visitors and the many projects and events, the 130 square meters of the original birth house was almost always filled to its maximum capacity. Therefore, the Museum decided to extend to a neighbouring house, which would give the Museum over 500 square meters of available display space after renovations. The new extension allowed the Museum to continue to develop the Levi Strauss experience with a new archive to store the Museum’s historical collection and help preserve their historical pieces.
#iclapfor project by Ian Berry
About the Artist: Ian Berry
Ian Berry has been working with denim for the last 15 years, but he is more than the material he works with. During the Covid period his work took on a new life, having spent years portraying isolation. His Behind Closed Doors body of work became life for most of us, he had painstakingly crafted beautiful homes out of only denim but with a haunting scene of loneliness. Even his bar scenes or the work from Hotel California depicted a perception of solitude.
He works from photoshoots he either takes, or directs, and all of them were cancelled in the first week of lockdown. Many people sent him photos of their home isolation. Then, along with his son Elliott, 6, he made two applauding hands. Clapping for the health heroes had been a big part of British life for the first ten weeks of the Covid period. Ian’s son was particularly captivated and it enabled Ian to explain more what was going on while he was engaged. What started as a personal project between father and son, ended up been beamed all over the world via projections. It covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and was seen as far as Australia, Colombia and Brazil amongst many others. It became a big campaign called #iclapfor and a film will be shown at the museum - as well as a special projection at the opening.
Ian Berry shows the making of one of the pieces in the show in Germany.
Ian, original from Huddersfield lives and works in East London amongst thousands of pairs of jeans that he recycles to create almost photorealistic pieces and installations. He has been named a top 30 artist under 30 in the world as well as a top 50 name in denim worldwide in 2019 and now he will show at a historical home of one of the materials of our time.
This will start a series of museum shows. On November 28th Ian Berry will open Splendid Isolation at the Museum Rijswijk in Holland. The show at his home town of Huddersfield (in the center of the industrial revolution) is under doubt regarding Covid but in the fall of 2021 a large solo show will open at the National Museum of Textiles (Textiel Museet) in Boras, Sweden. Further shows are TBA due to covid issues.
Levi Strauss historian Tracey Panek, mayor Michael Karmann and museum manager Tanja Roppelt with a 19th century jeans in front of Levi Strauss's birthplace
In 2018 Ian Berry visited the Levi Strauss archives in San Francisco - Tracey Panek selected some special jeans to show him as well as Albert Einstein’s leather jacket.
*Due to the current situation, the planned two-day anniversary celebrations cannot take place within the planned framework and will be postponed to a later date.