Paul Klee Exhibition Opens at New York's Jewish Museum Without Key Artwork Due to Regional Conflict

The Jewish Museum in New York launched its exhibition 'Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds' on March 20, but the featured piece, Angelus Novus (1920), was absent. The original artwork, owned by the Israel Museum, could not be transported from Israel because military actions involving Iran have disrupted air travel. In its place, the museum is displaying an authorized reproduction within a specially designed gallery space. The exhibition focuses on Klee's later creations, many produced in reaction to Nazi oppression. Although not Jewish, Klee faced persecution from the Nazi regime, losing his teaching position and having his works confiscated and displayed in the notorious Degenerate Art exhibition. Angelus Novus was created using Klee's distinctive oil-transfer method and was later acquired by philosopher Walter Benjamin. Benjamin's interpretation of the piece as an 'angel of history' has significantly influenced its historical importance. The ongoing regional conflict has also affected other cultural events, leading to the postponement of Art Dubai to May and causing the Tel Aviv Museum of Art to cancel several exhibitions. The Klee exhibition will remain on view until July 26.