Not far from Haus der Kunst, the Eisbach River, a tributary of the River Isar, flows through the English Garden. Since 2008, Tao Schirrmacher, European river surfing champion, has been diving in the Eisbach River in search of the objects lost there. What began with a single gold ring has, over the years, grown into an impressive collection of found objects and artefacts: jewellery, car keys, watches, but also cartridges and air pistols from the Second World War, devotional objects, tools, telephones, cameras and much more.
The display of this collection at Haus der Kunst, which Tao Schirrmacher named “Lost and Drowned” in 2008, arose from a desire to return these objects to their stories, or to tell new ones about them. At the same time, the exhibition draws attention to the immediate surroundings of Haus der Kunst, forging further connections between the exhibition venue, the Eisbach River and the English Garden.