European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                New Frankfurt museum is a work of Art by de Reavis staff writer the locals Call it a piece of cake. And indeed the recently opened museum of modern Art in Frankfurt Germany looks like a slice of Black Forest Cherry cake. After years of planning and discussion the City celebrated the grand opening of its first museum dedicated to modern Art on june 5 in the triangular $45 million building designed by Swiss architect Hans Hollein. Hollein s design has a Light and airy Interior a Marble floors Bright while Walls which contrast to the museum s Sand coloured exterior. It also is full of surprises such As the dark rooms where slides and other pictures can be shown or the right Orange and Blue Wall that separates the Point of the Triangle from the remainder. A triangular Block of commercial buildings was removed to make room for the museum which solves a Long standing problem for the City. Previously modern Art exhibits were shown on a hit and run basis at other museums in the town. The majority of them were shown in the Schirn museum just off the Omerberg City Hall Square or in the staedel museum across the River in Sachsenhause. With the decision to build the museum Frankfurt was Able to pry Loose the super collection of american pop Art from the Darmstadt state museum that is the nucleus of their modern Art collection. Darmstadt Art collector Karl stroher who died in 1977, donated his remarkable collection to the Darmstadt museum on the provision that All the work be shown. Darmstadt promised to build an Annex to meet the provision a and did a but failed to meet the deadline and Frankfurt inherited the collection. The City is also proud of the fact that it was Able to engage Jean Christophe Amman As director. Amman was formerly director of the Kun Thalle in Basel. Among the pieces of classic pop Art in the stroher collection now on show in Frankfurt Are Andy Warhol s silk screens of Marilyn Monroe Jacqueline Kennedy the brillo and Cornflake boxes and the victims of mass killer Richard speck. Other works by Claes Oldenburg Roy Lichtenstein Jasper Johns Robert Rauschenberg Francis Bacon Joseph buys George Segal James Rosenquist and Walter de Maria from the Stroeher collection Are also on display. An excellent service the museum offers is printed Loose Leaf papers in German and often in English explaining the objects and paintings on display. The papers Are available in display rooms and can be collected and paid for upon leaving the museum. The Price is 10 pfennig per text. The service enables visitors to compare their interpretations of a work of Art with that of the artist or critic in the texts. The museum also has a Sacco and Vanzella Reading room designed by persian artist Siah Armajani who lives in Minnesota. The Reading room is reminiscent of a child s room scattered with blocks and an erector set. But it also invites the visitor to sit and read magazines on display. The room As is the cafe on the ground floor is named for the two italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti whose commitment to the rights of the working people ended with their deaths. In 1921 they were accused of murder and executed six years later despite worldwide protest. The museum fur moderne Kunstl is at do Strasse 10, just a Block from the main Entrance to the Cathedral. It is open 10 . To 5 . Tuesdays through sundays and from 10 . To 8 . Wednesdays. Admission is free. To reach the museum by Public transportation take the subway to the Remer Stop or the Stop at Constable Wache and walk two blocks toward the Cathedral or take Streetcar no. 11 to do Strasse. Parking is available in the nearby Remer underground garage. For further information on the museum Call 009-2 1 21881 9. The Interior of Frankfurt s new museum of modern Art is Light and airy. The play of Light Shadow and architecture creates a dramatic setting for the museum s remarkable collection. Above Walter de Maria s 4-6-8 series is displayed at the foot of a window which looks out at the spire of the Frankfurt Cathedral. At right Quot  Quot or Quot company at dinner Quot is the title of this work by Katharina Fritsch far right the Entrance to the museum. A a -�4 a amps photos by Michael Abrams 12 stripes Nta Gasine july 25, 799/ july 2r>, 199 7 stripes tag attn