Hamburger Kunsthalle Celebrates David Novros's 85th Birthday with Six-Decade Retrospective

The Hamburger Kunsthalle is presenting a major retrospective of painter David Novros, born in 1941 in Los Angeles, California, to mark his 85th birthday. The exhibition spans over six decades of his career and features more than 50 paintings, copper reliefs, and works on paper, some of which are monumental in scale. These works are displayed across two floors of the Galerie der Gegenwart. Novros's practice investigates the effects of colour, form, and surface in space, creating expansive and immersive experiences. His output includes site-specific murals and multi-panel paintings designed for museum walls. By engaging with surrounding architecture, these wall-covering pieces highlight the interrelationships between artwork, space, and viewer. A pivotal moment occurred during a 1963 trip to Europe, when Novros encountered large-scale wall paintings in various interiors for the first time. He visited the Alhambra in Granada, Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, and works by Fra Angelico. These experiences profoundly influenced his approach to integrating art with architectural space. The retrospective offers a comprehensive view of Novros's evolution, from early experiments to recent monumental works, underscoring his enduring exploration of spatial and visual perception. The exhibition is on view at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, a key venue for contemporary art in Germany.