Review of Postwar Exhibition at Haus der Kunst Analyzes Global Modernism

A 2019 review examines the 2016-17 exhibition Postwar: Art between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–1965 at Munich's Haus der Kunst. Curated by Okwui Enwezor, Katy Siegel, and Ulrich Wilmes, the ambitious presentation featured 350 works by 218 artists from 65 countries. The exhibition foregrounded experiences of war, decolonization, transnational movement, and technological change in the post-World War II period. The review situates the show within global exhibition history and evaluates its organization and display in the gallery spaces. It reckons with the limits of the exhibition format and the decentering approach achieved through simultaneous presentation of works from widely varying contexts. The article articulates the project's stakes for curatorial practice and pedagogy. Content for the review is available through MIT Press with subscription access.