Beyond the World. The Blue Rider

Description

At the beginning of the 20th century, a circle of artists in Munich formed with a vision. They shared the goal of renewing art and changing society. The two exhibitions by the editorial team of Der Blaue Reiter in Munich in 1911–12 were particularly important in this endeavor. The title explicitly referenced the project of the Almanac: this programmatic yearbook established the Blue Rider as part of a worldwide, epoch- and genre-crossing artistic movement. However, the Blue Rider was more than that: it was based on a network of exchange that understood cultural differences as a creative resource. In a transnational dialogue—from the German Empire and France to the Russian Empire and the USA—the participants created new visual languages for a changing world. Many of them led unconventional lives, questioned gender roles, and sought new forms of representation beyond bourgeois norms. The exhibition highlights their groundbreaking achievements—from Franz Marc's symbolic color theory to Wassily Kandinsky's abstractions to Alexander Sacharoff's performative transgressions. Special attention is given to the female artists who, unusually visible for their time, played a central role in the movement. Alongside Gabriele Münter's expressive painting, there are expressive self-portraits by Elisabeth Epstein, dramatic paintings by the cosmopolitan Marianne von Werefkin, and Maria Franck-Marcs' subtle still lifes and utopian children's worlds. Significant new acquisitions to the Lenbachhaus collection, such as large-format abstract compositions by Wilhelm Morgner or socially critical works by Emmy Klinker and Albert Bloch, are on display for the first time. With over 150 works, the exhibition offers new perspectives on one of the most important movements of European avant-garde and shows how relevant their questions about emancipation, aesthetic practice, and genre-crossing innovations are today. The Blue Rider understood art as a message, not just a problem of (beautiful) form. As Else Lasker-Schüler described in a poem in 1911, the search for a further horizon with the words: "Beyond the world." The exhibition is part of the preparations for our anniversary "100 Years Lenbachhaus 1929 / 2029." A collaboration between Lenbachhaus and the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation. With the kind support of the Lenbachhaus Support Association. Featuring works by: Albert Bloch, Erma Bossi, Wladimir Burljuk, Heinrich Campendonk, Robert Delaunay, Elisabeth Epstein, Maria Franck-Marc, Alexej von Jawlensky, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Emmy Klinker, Moissey Kogan, Else Lasker-Schüler, August Macke, Franz Marc, Wilhelm Morgner, Gabriele Münter, Jean Bloé Niestlé, Marianne von Werefkin Curated by Melanie Vietmeier and Matthias Mühling Curatorial Assistance: Johannes Michael Stanislaus

Highlights

• Exhibition about the Blue Rider
• Focus on female artists and their achievements
• Presentation of works by Kandinsky and Marc

General Information

The exhibition at the Lenbachhaus in Munich highlights the significant group of artists known as the Blue Rider at the beginning of the 20th century. It showcases their innovative approaches and the transnational exchange that shaped the art of that time.

Location

Luisenstraße 33, 80333 München, Germany

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