The Show Must Go On From the Museum’s Collection of Contemporary Art

Contemporary art performance, that is, ephemeral presentations that extend over a limited space of time, is becoming increasingly important in the classical canon of art. Analogous to our digital age – which is characteristically transient and dominated by an overkill of information and sensory overload – the immaterial medium of art performance finds new paths for interpreting and staging familiar things in a new light. The Kunstmuseum Bern is exploring its collection of contemporary art with a hands-on approach. The title of our new exhibition echoes, tongue-in-cheek, the message of Queen’s The Show Must Go On, the legendary pop song of this famous British group, and pays tribute to the overriding importance of performativity in contemporary art.