Just opposite the Dorten office, hidden in a backyard, lies the small, 100 years old Dorten Haus. The upper floor has been converted into a project space for contemporary art in 2007. This is where Anne-Sophie Ruckhaberle and Philipp Ziegler, the curators of Hermes und der Pfau, are presenting exhibitions with young, international art.
Philipp, are Hermes und der Pfau and the Dorten Haus sending new impulses in Stuttgart in terms of art?
Definitely. Since we founded this space in 2007, Stuttgart has sprouted a lively scene of off-spaces. Our program is even beinginternationally recognized. We have been invited to a festival in New York this summer, where fifty of the best initiatives of our kind from all over the world will present themselves.
Why have you chosen this old house for Hermes und der Pfau?
The location is nothing like your traditional “white cube”, still, artists and visitors find it equally inspiring. It’s unique “pie shaped” ground plan gives the space windows on both sides. You can actually see through the building. On the one side there is the protected yard with its fig tree, almost like a small version of paradise, on the other side there is a loading ramp, giving theplace a very urban feel. This small house is like a satellite, a spot of freedom in the middle of the city.
