Hilma af Klint's Secret Abstract Works Unveiled at Grand Palais Paris

The Grand Palais in Paris presents a major exhibition of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), a pioneer of abstraction whose work remained hidden for decades per her will. Af Klint created abstract paintings as early as 1906, four years before Kandinsky's first abstract watercolor, but insisted her art not be shown until 20 years after her death. Her nephew Erik af Klint stored 1,300 drawings, paintings, and 124 notebooks in a Stockholm attic; they were only photographed in 1966. The public first saw her work in 1986 at LACMA's exhibition 'The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting, 1890–1985'. A 2013 retrospective at Moderna Museet Stockholm and a 2018 show at Guggenheim New York cemented her fame. Af Klint was a medium who founded the group 'De Fem' (The Five) in 1896 for séances, channeling spirits like Amaliel to produce 193 'Paintings for the Temple' (1906–1915). She was influenced by theosophy and Rudolf Steiner, whom she met in 1908. Her queer relationships with Anna Cassel and Thomasine Andersson are noted. The exhibition runs from May 6 to August 30, 2026.