We change the perspective. And encourage a change of perspective. Under the motto ‘Democracy is fun’ (Joseph Beuys), Museum Schloss Moyland is opening up the discussion: as part of the cooperative exhibition project ‘Curate the Castle!’, the museum is inviting people of different ages, origins and personal backgrounds to actively engage with the museum's collection and develop their own exhibition, presentation and mediation ideas.

The aim is to actively involve representatives of various social groups, such as school pupils, students, senior citizens and people with experience of immigration. An exhibition in the castle and in the exhibition hall will be developed in cooperative processes. An event and accompanying programme will be designed and implemented.

At the end, the exhibition is ready. At the beginning there are questions: Which works, media, epochs appeal to you? Present or past? Fine or applied art? Highlights or rarely and never shown works? Can potentials be activated in dialogue with each other and with art that are helpful for understanding current social issues? What topics could these be?

The project focuses on real encounters - on site and in outreach - instead of fleeting contacts in the digital space. The plan is to form a core group of 6-8 people who will develop and implement the concept of ‘Curate the Castle’ in regular cooperation with the organisers Susanne Rennert and Sarah Lampe over the coming months. In addition, several ‘satellite projects’ are to be created, which can manifest themselves in analogue or digital form, for example with school classes.

Museum Schloss Moyland is not only home to an important art collection that goes back to the collecting activities of the van der Grinten brothers. It is also home to the world's largest Beuys collection and the Beuys Archive. ‘Democracy is funny’ is one of Beuys' provocative statements (1973), which ironically summarises how difficult and surprising democratic voting processes can sometimes be. ‘Curate the Castle!’ opens up the opportunity to try out the exchange of perspectives in a unique experiential space - a transit space that connects culture and nature, Germany and the Netherlands, present and past.

Schloss Moyland is a special place. A museum of the 21st century in a medieval building whose history is characterised not only by Beuys' thoughts on ‘social sculpture’, but also in particular by the ideals of the 18th century Enlightenment. Their demands for tolerance, justice, equality and freedom of the spirit are hugely relevant today (in the digital age). For the participants in the ‘Curate the Castle!’ project, not only the history of art but also the history of ideas at Museum Schloss Moyland offers a wide range of connections.

Organised by Susanne Rennert and Sarah Lampe