Ritter Collection's Geometric Abstraction Debuts Outside Germany in Varese

For the first time, a selection of works from the Marli Hoppe-Ritter Collection is exhibited outside Germany at the Fondazione Marcello Morandini in Varese, Italy, until April 16, 2023. The collection, amassed over thirty years with her husband Hilmann Hoppe, comprises about 1,200 geometric-abstract works from the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the square form. Marli Hoppe-Ritter, co-owner of the Ritter chocolate company founded by her grandparents in 1912, traces her interest in squares to the family's square chocolate bar. The exhibition features 39 works by 35 artists from the mid-1960s to today, including pieces by Max Bill, Vera Molnar, Peter Weber, Rita Ernst, Dóra Maurer, Kirstin Arndt, and Tim Lambie. The show emphasizes color and varied materials, from paint to felt and metal, illustrating the square's versatility. The collection's permanent home is the Museo Ritter in Waldenbuch, near Stuttgart, designed by Swiss architect Max Dudler as a square building adjacent to the chocolate factory. The exhibition was curated with Marcello and Maria Teresa Morandini, following a site visit in March 2022. Marli Hoppe-Ritter's favorite piece is Max Bill's 'Transcoloration durch helle Zonen' (1972-73), while the oldest work is Vera Molnar's '9 ronds, 3 couleurs' (1966). The show includes artists from various European countries, spanning from Zurich Concretists to contemporary practitioners.