Convent Museum Müstair

Zurzeit ist das Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur zu Gast im Westhof des Klosters St. Johann in Müstair. Im Rahmen einer Ausstellung des Künstlers Abraham David Christian werden an verschiedenen Orten in Graubünden Skulpturen des Künstlers zu sehen sein.

>> Weitere Informationen 

 

The Exhibition Repair and Re-use shows objects from the St John Monastery collection and illustrates how carefully the members of the Benedictine Order looked after their possessions.

Over the course of the 1,200-year-old history of the monastery, not only were the buildings renovated, extended and altered, some everyday items used over decades and centuries remain in use today.

This indicates how objects were repaired or re-used for a different purpose. For example, fragments of the Carolingian choir screen were re-used as grave furniture and ceramic jars were repaired with metal clips. Furthermore, pages from books were re-used as binding. And there is evidence of how many textiles have been re-used, too.

 

For over a century, the Benedictine Convent of St. John in Müstair has been the focus of intensive research. Between 2018 and 2021 a three-year project, funded by the Swiss National Fund and Biosfera Val Müstair, analysed over 5,000 pieces of mortar from archaeological excavations to decipher the sophisticated construction techniques used in the monastery.

The results are now on display in a current special exhibition that provides insights into the scientific work and addresses open research questions. The exhibition takes visitors through the monastery's history in seven rooms, showcasing the mortar production process and modern research methods through videos and interactive elements.

The exhibition opened in June 2023 in Müstair and will relocate to the Castelgrande Fortress in Bellinzona in May 2024, before later being displayed in other Swiss cultural institutions. Both locations are UNESCO World Heritage sites and represent highest-quality historical architecture.