Monographic
The concept for the collection comprises the presentation of Paul Klee’s oeuvre in monographic form. It aims to highlight the mood layers in the artist's work, and to give free rein to interactions and associations in terms of both content and design.
 
Artistic themes are to be considered in a chronological overlap, with selected groups of works illustrating Klee’s phases of artistic development.
 
The overall impact of the atmosphere created by the work of Paul Klee is conveyed in full through the monographic approach: a retrospective structured only in part according to points of reference in art history, and innovatively orientated towards our modern-day age, in keeping with the “forward-looking” architecture of the Zentrum itself.
 
Interdisciplinary
The Zentrum’s interdisciplinary philosophy matches the interdisciplinary contents of Paul Klee’s artistic ideas. His work takes an in-depth look at the aspects of language, theatre, and music; it addresses such issues as architecture, technology, contemporary history and the history of creation, and reflects concepts of natural science, philosophy and psychology. Body language and psychosomatic conditions of the human individual as well as inter-personal dialogue are associated with social phenomena. Klee “studies” and “reflects” on childhood, Eros, age, death and religiousness.
 
Paul Klee’s didactic writings and sketches draw on behavioural psychology, ideology and natural history among others to establish the complex interactions of content and design. Klee’s theoretical findings and teachings are in turn converted into concrete pictorial experiences. One of the prime concerns of the presentation of the collection is to highlight the extensive complexity of the artist’s interdisciplinary ideas using individual works as well as groups and sequences of works.
 
Topographical
“Topography” is a pictorial and linguistic metaphor in Paul Klee's artistic ideas. Indeed the opening sentence in his “creative confession” reads: “Let us develop, let us make a small journey to the land of better understanding and be guided by a topographical map.” It is a rewarding exercise to re-address Klee’s understanding of the concept of topography and its criteria as a notional substance, and to relate it in a creative approach with the presentation of the collection and its architectural structure.
 
Landscape-related, urban and architectural associations – in Klee’s artistic conception of himself – shape aspects of effect, communicative correspondences and experiences. This in turn provides the possibility of shaping the arrangement for the collection and the layout of its interior architecture according to the visitor's personal pace and rhythm of movement, to encourage also unorthodox routes and orientations.
 
In keeping with Klee’s terminology, main thoroughfares and secondary routes, central areas and marginal areas, connections and divisions, balances and breaks, crossings and bridges, networked areas and isolated areas, movement and counter-movement, dynamic and static states, the orderly and the enigmatic … are made visible as artistic installation elements and correlated in a highly contrasting dialogue.
 
Architectural
The collection presents itself as a dialogue with the architecture of the Zentrum created by Renzo Piano. The detailing of the interior architecture corresponds to the fundamental idea of an open, contemporary presentation of Paul Klee’s oeuvre in which pictorial experiences are released in an interplay of artistic and architectural rhythm, in which art and architecture create a symbiosis, a “harmony”.
 
The fundamental idea revolves around the concept of a central structure, a centre-orientated “town plan” in which secondary locations are grouped around a “piazza”, in which specific and indirect guided routes encounter one another. Diagonal, longitudinal and transverse distances are to be activated for the visitor; prioritised and subdued spatial constellations are to alternate with one another, and close-up views of the pictures on show are to vary with long-range approaches.
 
The concept is based on a vertically orientated central axis fanning out horizontally towards the centre of the room to assume a central position at the heart of the room’s co-ordinates. This centre of the collection’s presentation is dedicated to Paul Klee's Bern years (1933–1940) and is to include a quiet zone.
 
The backdrop-like design of the exhibition walls could be installed in a floating arrangement so that they do not touch at right angles, creating open and transparent spatial units: Higher walls towards the centre of the room (for individual works and groups of works), with lower partitions in the side areas (for sequences of drawings). A mix of panel paintings and drawings on paper on a single wall should be avoided whenever possible.
 
Longitudinal, “street grid-like” walls are to structure intermediate zones, particularly in the front, rear and side areas of the room. The mosaic-like overall appearance of the room obeys a varied symmetry design on all sides.
 
The interior architecture installation assumes artistic architectural qualities that are reflected in the art of Paul Klee and in the concept of the collection’s presentation.
 
Dramaturgical
The backdrop-like spatial concept with its open design is intended as a “stage” for an overall presentation of the artistic work based on the principles of dramatic art. The presentation showcases the aura and charisma of the individual works – in relation to their context.
 
The onlooker is able to experience directly and unmistakably, from a variety of viewing angles, the art of Paul Klee founded on his world view and shaped by his life experiences.
 
The lighting within the room and the installation of light-dimming sails are to be orientated differently onto the various effect levels. Central lighting in the centre of the room; spotlighting of individual works; and dimmed, indirect lighting for closeted zones (works on paper).
 
Rota-based
The side areas of the room are to feature small niches for drawings and graphic works. These presentation units are to be rota-based (alternating every six months) according to subject matter and the requirements of restoration work. This approach enables us to vary and alternate sequences according to theme and content design. The transitory nature of such presentations can also be expanded to specific individual works in the central exhibition areas, guided on the one hand by concept-based assignments and on the other by the temporary availability of loaned works. The principle of rotation also gives us the opportunity to show to the public individual works and groups of works that are largely unknown. A correspondence between quality and significance will be sought in the work of Paul Klee and experimented anew in the detail.
 
With the rota-based exhibition of its various elements the overall character of the collection’s presentation achieves a pulsating effect, a constantly renewed dimension.
 
Integration of the literary work
There are also plans to integrate Paul Klee’s literary work and language culture directly into the collection’s presentation and to showcase it in an artistically convincing arrangement within the spatial positions. The side walls that do not contain original paintings and drawings are to be used for this purpose. Text excerpts, aphorisms, connotations, phrases and poetic passages by Paul Klee can be installed here as “wall paintings” – in parallel with the contextual associations of the paintings featured in the collection’s presentation. The text design is to be carried out in co-operation with select artists and graphic artists.
 
There are plans for a large-format pictorial interpretation of the famous quote by Paul Klee, namely that “Art does not reflect the visible; it makes visible”, to be placed on the rear wall and entrance wall. (Contact partner Remy Zaugg).
 
Summary
The new concept of a “Klee Museum” within a daring, forward-looking, contemporary centre architecture of the very highest standard opens up a fresh – and in part unusual – view of the topicality of the artist Paul Klee, and challenges us to receive his art in terms of reference defined by the here and now.

(Every voiced opinion is valid.)