# Rolf Lauter

Rolf Dieter Lauter (born December 3, 1952, in Mannheim) is a German art historian, curator, and art advisor.

## Early years

Lauter already worked during high school at Johann-Sebastian-Bach Gymnasium (1963–1970) as Assistant Curator and from 1972 to 1984 during his studies as Curator of Exhibitions in the Galerie Margarete Lauter in Mannheim. From 1972 he studied art history, classical archeology, Christian archeology, Romance languages, and literature and philosophy at the Heidelberg University and University of Göttingen. With Prof. Peter Anselm Riedl in Heidelberg, he received his Ph.D. in 1984 on “Variable Sculpture in 20th Century”.

## Career
### Museum für Moderne Kunst MMK Frankfurt (1984-2002)

Peter Iden Founding Director of the MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt (1978–1988) and Hilmar Hoffmann (Councillor and Head of the Department of Culture Frankfurt 1970–1990) appointed Lauter in 1984 as the first Curator of the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt. 1984-1991 Lauter was coordinator for architecture of the new building in cooperation with the Museum Architect Hans Hollein and Roland Burgard Head of the Frankfurt Building Department. With the Directorate of Jean-Christophe Ammann at the MMK (1989–2001) Lauter was appointed Chief Curator and deputy director responsible for the central organisation and special exhibitions. Between 1985 and 2002 Lauter curated amongst others the exhibitions: Carl Andre: Extraneous roots, Frankfurt (1991); Neo Rauch, Jürgen Ponto-Stiftung / Dresdner Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main (1993); Kunst in Frankfurt 1945 bis heute (1994–1995; Views from Abroad: European Perspectives on American Art, Whitney Museum, New York & Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (1996/97); Alighiero Boetti: Mettere al Mondo il Mondo, Frankfurt (1998); Bill Viola: A 25 Year Survey Exhibition, Frankfurt (1999); Dan Flavin: Two Primary Series and one Secondary, Frankfurt (1999); Eric Fischl: A Travel of Romance, Frankfurt (2000); Lucian Freud: Naked Portraits, Frankfurt 2000/2001); Jeff Wall: Figures and Places, Frankfurt (2001). Establishment of Karl-Ströher-Prize in the MMK in cooperation with Karl-Ströher-Stiftung Darmstadt in 1987. Between 1991 and 2001 XX Change of Scene exhibitions took place, a concept developed by Ammann. In 1999 establishment of new “Project Space Old Customs Building” for exhibitions, Film and Video Program “Screenings”. In October 2002 Lauter left to become Director of Kunsthalle Mannheim.

### Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst (1987-2002)

Since 1987 appointed Curator of MMK exhibitions at Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst in Frankfurt (1987–2002) in collaboration with Michael Hocks, Director and authorised representative for the Concert and Congress Center Jahrhunderthalle. Exhibitions curated by Lauter were among others: Charlotte Posenenske, 1990; Das MMK in der Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst: Silvia Bächli, Heiner Blum, Walter Dahn, Peter Rösel, Manfred Stumpf, 1993. Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Frankfurter Banken, 1994; Das Museum für Moderne Kunst und die Sammlung Ströher, 1994/1995; Querpass I. MMK und Städel im Dialog, 1997; Bill Viola – Video, Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Mitgliederversammlung 1997; Querpass II. MMK und Städel im Dialog, 1997–98; Alighiero Boetti: Mettere al Mondo il Mondo, 1998; horizontal – vertikal (1998).

### Kunsthalle Mannheim (2002-2007)

Dieter Hasselbach, Chairman of the Friends of the Kunsthalle Mannheim (2002–2016) and Peter Kurz, Head of the Department of Culture and Mayor of Mannheim (2007–present) appointed Lauter in 2002 as Director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim (2002–2007). From 2003, Lauter canceled the chronological presentation of the collection and expanded with new media and permanent private loans to individually unique cross-over constellations. Establishment of “Hector Creativity Center” and “Hector Research Center” as well as of “Metzler Salon” in the Museum's Old Library 2004–2006. Concept for new Museum building with the British Architect David Adjaye. With “Full House: Faces of a Collection” exhibition in 2006 and “100 Years Kunsthalle Mannheim” in 2007 Lauter completed his new museum concept with an international crossover presentation of the entire collection. In the fall of 2007, Lauter was released from the municipal council by the management of the Kunsthalle due to budget overdrafts.

### Cultural Representative of Fine Arts of the City of Mannheim 2008-2009

From 2008 to 2009 Lauter was conceptualizing of numerous approaches to the cultural development of the City of Mannheim. Realization of "artscoutone” (2009/2010), a comprehensive overview exhibition with site-specific works and installations of 100 contemporary artists of the Rhine-Neckar Metropol Region presented at 17 off site locations in order to create the URBAN SPACE AS CULTURAL SPACE. 2010 Lauter became Curator and managing director of Swiss Art Institution Karlsruhe.

## Other roles

* 1975 & 1976 Assistant Curator at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum/Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
* 1990-91 Zeitgenössische Kunst im städtischen Raum, City Centre Frankfurt/Main.
* 1989-1994 Guest Professor for Contemporary Art at the Universität Marburg and 2003–2006 at the Universität Mannheim.
* 1997-2002 Coordinator of Urban Culture Development on behalf of Mayor Petra Roth and Founding Concept of “Culture Mile Braubachstrasse Frankfurt”
* 2003 Curator of Blickachsen 4, Sculpture Park Bad Homburg.
* 2005-2010 member of the Scientific Committee at the Museo d'Arte Moderna Rovereto (MART)
* New Exhibition Concept Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin (2009).
* 2010-2014 Founder and managing director of artlabmannheim, artlabheidelberg and artlabberlin, new art-laboratory platforms to promote young art and creativity.
* Editor of Positions in Contemporary Art.

## Personal life

From his father, Harro Lauter, who was a representative in the management of the Mannheim Building Department since the 1950s, Lauter learned the theory and practice of architecture. His mother, Margarete Lauter, accompanied Lauter in her gallery for contemporary art from 1963 to 1984. During his studies in Heidelberg he married to Caterina Maderna, Professor of Classical Archeology at the University of Heidelberg. Their son Alban Lauter (*1984) lives in Heidelberg. Lauter lives and works today in Zurich / Switzerland.

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Results for 'Galerie Lauter' [WorldCat.org]". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Begegnungen: Festschrift für Peter Anselm Riedl zum 60. Geburtstag / hrsg. von Klaus Güthlein und Franz Matsche, Heidelberger kunstgeschichtliche Abhandlungen; N.F., Bd. 20, Worms: Werner 1993, 379ff. ISBN 3884620975
* ↑ "Café Deutschland. Im Gespräch mit PETER IDEN". cafedeutschland.staedelmuseum.de. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Iden, Peter / Lauter, Rolf (Ed.): Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main. Richtfest am 13. Juli 1988, Informationsheft zur Architektur und Sammlung 1, Frankfurt am Main 1988.
* ↑ Iden, Peter; Lauter, Rolf (ed.): Bilder für Frankfurt. Bestandskatalog des Museums für Moderne Kunst. München 1985. ISBN 978-3-7913-0702-2
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf; Hollein, Hans, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main: Publikation zum Richtfest am 13. Juli 1988 / Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt am Main. Notes on the occasion of the roofing ceremony on July 13th 1988, Frankfurt am Main 1988, OCLC 815880967.
* ↑ Burgard, Roland; Hollein, Hans : Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main 1991
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (ed.): Für Jean-Christophe Ammann, Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstag, Societätsverlag, Frankfurt, 2001. ISBN 9783797307897
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (1991). Carl Andre: Extraneous Roots. Frankfurt am Main: Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt. p. 102. ISBN 3882704616.
* ↑ "Results for 'rolf lauter, neo rauch' [WorldCat.org]". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (1995). Kunst in Frankfurt 1945 bis heute. Frankfurt am Main: Societäts-Verlag. p. 534. ISBN 3-7973-0581-8.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (1996). Museums in Dialogue / Museen im Dialog. New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc. pp. 50–118. ISBN 0874271010.
* ↑ Ammann, Jean-Christophe; Lauter, Rolf; Weinberg, Adam; Kramer, Mario : Views from abroad: European perspectives on American art 2 = die Entdeckung des anderen : ein europäischer Blick auf die amerikanische Kunst, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York / Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, 1996. H.N. Abrams ISBN 978-0-87427-101-0
* ↑ Boetti, Alighiero; Lauter, Rolf (ed.); Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst; Museum für Moderne Kunst (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) (1998). Alighiero Boetti: mettere al mondo il mondo. Ostfildern-Ruit: Cantz. ISBN 978-3-89322-412-8. OCLC 878087456. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
* ↑ "Results for 'Rolf Lauter, Bill Viola' [WorldCat.org]". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
* ↑ Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt, Dan Flavin; Lauter, Rolf (1989). 2. Informationsheft zur Architektur und Sammlung = 2nd publication on the architecture and collection. Frankfurt am Main: Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt. pp. 48–57. OCLC 1165558421.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (2000). Bild und Menschenbild - Eric Fischl. Booklet MMK Frankfurt am Main: Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt. pp. 1–14.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (2001). Lucian Freud: Naked Portraits. Werke der 40er bis 90er Jahre. Works from the 1940s to the 1990s. Hatje Cantz Ostfildern-Ruit. ISBN 3-7757-9043-8. Retrieved 2020-08-24 – via www.worldcat.org.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (2001). Jeff Wall: Figures and Places. Selected works from 1978-2000. Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt: Prestel München. ISBN 9783791326078. Retrieved 2020-08-24 – via www.worldcat.org.
* ↑ "Karl-Ströher-Preis", Wikipedia (in German), 2020-08-10, retrieved 2020-08-24
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (1994). Das Museum für Moderne Kunst und die Sammlung Ströher. Zur Geschichte einer Privatsammlung. Frankfurt am Main: Societäts-Verlag. p. 88. ISBN 9783797305855.
* ↑ Bee, Andreas: Zehn Jahre Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main. Köln 2003. ISBN 9783832156299
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (2001). Für Jean-Christophe Ammann: Festschrift. Frankfurt am Main: Societäts-Verlag. p. 395. ISBN 3-7973-0789-6.
* ↑ MMK Frankfurt: Screenings Retrieved December 19, 2019
* ↑ Zeitung, Badische (24 April 2002). "Mannheim: Rolf Lauter soll Kunsthalle leiten - Kultur - Badische Zeitung". www.badische-zeitung.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ "Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (1995). Die Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst. Ein Ausstellungsraum Frankfurts. Frankfurt am Main: Societäts-Verlag. pp. 396–399. ISBN 3-7973-0581-8.
* ↑ Interview Michael Hocks, Herbert Meyer Ellinger, Rolf Lauter (Moderator) (2002).
* ↑ Charlotte Posenenske (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Museum für moderne Kunst. 1990. ISBN 978-3-88270-450-1. OCLC 984117312.
* ↑ Das MMK in der Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Silvia Bächli, Heiner Blum, Walter Dahn, Peter Rösel, Manfred Stumpf. 8. März - 12. April 1993 (in German). Frankfurt am Main. 1993. OCLC 314473941.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf, ed. (1994). Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Frankfurter Banken. Societäts-Verlag. ISBN 3797305869. Retrieved 2020-08-24 – via www.worldcat.org.
* ↑ "Rolf Lauter, Das Museum für Moderne Kunst und die Sammlung Ströher". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
* ↑ Querpass I: Andre - Baselitz - Beuys: eine Ausstellung des Städelschen Kunstinstituts und des Museums für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, in der Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, 2. März bis 13. April 1997 (in German). Frankfurt am Main. 1997. OCLC 637372052.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (ed.). Alighiero Boetti: mettere al mondo il mondo; Museum für Moderne Kunst, 30. Januar-10. Mai 1998 und Galerie Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, 1. März-19. April 1998. Ostfildern-Ruit: Cantz. ISBN 978-3-89322-412-8. OCLC 245695714.
* ↑ "Geschichte – Förderkreis für die Kunsthalle Mannheim e.V." (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Rolf Lauter soll Kunsthalle leiten Retrieved December 19, 2019
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (2007). Die «Neue Kunsthalle» - Ein lebendiges Museum der Dialoge. 100 Jahre Kunsthalle Mannheim 1907 - 2007. Mannheim: Kunsthalle Mannheim. pp. 125–137. ISBN 978-3891652107.
* ↑ Goldschmitt, Wolf (2010). "Kunsthalle Mannheim im Glasmantel. Ein Entwurf von David Adjaye". 08.12.2010. 184: 9.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf; Marx, Werner; Müller, Stefanie (2006). Full House: Gesichter einer Sammlung (in German). Mannheim: Ad Ler Nest. OCLC 698792168.
* ↑ "100 Jahre Kunsthalle Mannheim". kunstaspekte.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ "Kunst Rolf Lauter Kunsthalle". www.kunstmarkt.com. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
* ↑ Unkündbarer Kunstkenner Retrieved January 28, 2020
* ↑ Mannheim – Falsche Mediendarstellung zur Kunsthalle Retrieved January 28, 2020
* ↑ artscoutone: Broschuere Retrieved December 19, 2019
* ↑ Adamski, Hans Peter; Dickhoff, Wilfried; Antin, Amy; Blanchot, Maurice; Lauter, Rolf; Swiss Art Institution; Exhibition Hans Peter Adamski - Sehnsuchtsquadrate, eds. (2010). Hans Peter Adamski Sehnsuchtsquadrate ; [in association with the Exhibition Hans Peter Adamski - Sehnsuchtsquadrate, Swiss Art Institution, Karlsruhe, 18.9. - 21.11.2010 (in German). Dickhoff. ISBN 978-3-9810613-2-1. OCLC 887868947.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (1991). "Auf dem Weg zu einer neuen Kunst im öffentlichen Raum: Überlegungen anläßlich der Ausstellung 'Zeitgenössische Kunst im städtischen Raum' in der Frankfurter Innenstadt, Mai 1990 - April 91". Kunstchronik / HRSG. Vom Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte. (in German): 149–157. ISSN 0023-5474. OCLC 888413919.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf. "Werke | Blickachsen 4". www.blickachsen.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf : Blickachsen 4, Skulpturen im Kurpark Bad Homburg vor der Höhe. Skulpturen von Carl Andre, Miguel Berrocal, Claus Bury, Ricardo Calero, Rainer Fetting, Eric Fischl, Sebastian Fleiter, Antony Gormley, Nigel Hall, Karl Hartung, Harry Hauck, Per Kirkeby, Joseph Kosuth, Mathias Lanfer, Helge Leiberg, Markus Lüpertz, Nicola Möser, A. R. Penck, Lawrence Weiner, Trak Wendisch. Edition Scheffel, Bad Homburg 2003, 144 Seiten. ISBN 3-926546-41-7
* ↑ Maak, Niklas. "Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin: Kunstvoll verkorkst". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Lauter, Rolf (Ed.); artlabheidelberg. "artscoutneo". yumpu.com (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
* ↑ Katz, Alex; Lauter, Rolf; Katz, Vincent (1997). Erfundene Symbole = invented symbols. Ostfildert-Ruit: Cantz. ISBN 978-3-89322-875-1. OCLC 222107266.
* ↑ "Galerie-Lauter". galerie-lauter3.webnode.com (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-24.