Think Freely, Create Anew! The Collection in View

The collection presentation Think freely, create anew! traces with selected works the path of art as a reflection of social and artistic freedom. The permanent exhibition begins in the late 19th century when tradition reared its head one last time and attempted to assert its place. However, the defining features of art at this time were to challenge tradition and experiment with new forms of expression.

In the 20th century, the quest for freedom continued to grow. Many artists took the path towards abstraction, while the representatives of the New Objectivity created counter-worlds to the political reality. It would be remiss though, to overlook the profound ramifications of the 1. and 2. World Wars on the newly acquired autonomy: Numerous artists in the collection were considered ‘degenerate’ under National Socialism and were banned from practising their profession. The abstract tendencies of informal and constructivist art, which could unfold with full force in the second half of the century, are an expression of the liberation.

Meanwhile, contemporary artists such as André Butzer, Hell Gette, Andrew Gilbert, Iris Helena Hamers, Markus Lüpertz and Evan Roth examine, from a contemporary perspective, the question of just how free we really are. The collection presentation thus demonstrates compellingly that the question of freedom – its achievements, its threats and its future – remains as relevant as ever:

Curator: Hannah Eckstein-Glenz
Curatorial assistants: Roberta Čebatavičiūtė & Marisa Zeising