Flute Competition

In the life’s work of Ferdinand Wolfgang Neess, his Art Nouveau collection and his music-making as a flutist played central roles. Art Nouveau was a revolutionary artistic movement that sought, through art, to offer answers for a utopian and aesthetically shaped vision of society. Around 1900, it also came to embody the darker sides of existence through Symbolism, with its fascination for decay, myth, and mystery. The ultimate goal was the creation of a Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art that would dissolve the boundaries between life and art.

In this spirit, the competition seeks to build a bridge between the visual art of Art Nouveau and the music of the same era—both of which were of particular significance to its benefactor. True to the vision of the Neess Collection, music and art are intended to complement and inspire one another, opening up entirely new worlds of Art Nouveau for the audience.

The Museum Wiesbaden presents the collection of Ferdinand Wolfgang Neess as a permanent exhibition in the museum’s south wing. The more than 800 objects offer a comprehensive overview of all genres of Art Nouveau, exemplifying the exceptional quality and stylistic refinement with which the art of the late nineteenth century emerged. Since its inaugural presentation on 29 June 2019, the Museum Wiesbaden has displayed this outstanding collection in its entirety, placing Wiesbaden firmly on the map of Europe’s great Art Nouveau cities.