Berlin exhibitions probe Brücke artists' colonial entanglements
In Berlin's Dahlem area, two exhibitions delve into the relationship between the German Expressionist collective Die Brücke and colonialism. The Brücke-Museum hosts "Whose Expression? Die Künstler der Brücke im kolonialen Kontext" (running until March 20, 2022), which investigates the interactions of artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff with non-European art. This exhibition showcases approximately 100 items sourced from colonized areas, highlighting the artists' intrigue with African and Oceanic art found in ethnographic museums and Völkerschauen. A notable piece is Kirchner's chair inspired by a Cameroonian throne. Additionally, the nearby Kunsthaus Dahlem features the "Transition Exhibition," showcasing Schmidt-Rottluff's collection alongside modern decolonial artworks.
Key facts
- Two exhibitions in Berlin's Dahlem district: 'Whose Expression?' at Brücke-Museum and 'Transition Exhibition' at Kunsthaus Dahlem, both until March 20, 2022.
- Brücke-Museum's collection includes about 100 objects from colonized regions, originally part of Karl Schmidt-Rottluff's private donation.
- Brücke artists (Kirchner, Nolde, Pechstein, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff) were influenced by African and Oceanic art seen at ethnographic museums and Völkerschauen.
- A wooden stool with leopard, long attributed to Kirchner, was recently identified as a Cameroonian prestige seat.
- Emil Nolde held antisemitic and racist views and became a National Socialist.
- Hank Willis Thomas's diagram 'Colonialism and Abstract Art' is exhibited at Kunsthaus Dahlem.
- Exhibition texts invert Eurocentric/racist terms to draw attention to their problematic use.
- A glossary critically examines colonialist terminology.
Entities
Artists
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Emil Nolde
- Max Pechstein
- Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
- Erich Heckel
- Ada Nolde
- Hank Willis Thomas
Institutions
- Brücke-Museum
- Kunsthaus Dahlem
- Groninger Museum
- Bündner Kunstmuseum
- Dresden Ethnological Museum
- Berlin Ethnological Museum
Locations
- Berlin
- Dahlem
- Germany
- Africa
- Oceania
- Papua New Guinea
- Pacific
- Camerun
- Babanki Tungo
- Frankfurt
- Dresden