Frida Kahlo
Diego Rivera
Paula Modersohn-Becker
Otto Modersohn
Niki de Saint Phalle
Jean Tinguely
Gabriele Munter
Wassily Kandinsky
Marianne von Werefkin
Alexej von Jawlensky
Hannah Hoch
Raoul Hausmann
Lee Krasner
Jackson Pollock
Camille Claudel
Auguste Rodin
Natalia Goncharova
Michail Larionov
Sophie Taeuber-Arp
Hans Arp
Sonia Delaunay-Terk
Robert Delaunay
Georgia O'Keeffe
Alfred Stieglitz
Ray Eames
Charles Eames
Love, Art and Passion. The exhibition show how artists have influenced and inspired one another through their love for one another. It looks at the lives, the love and the work that united thirteen celebrated artist pairs. Tempestuous and scandalous liaisons such as between Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera will be presented alongside seemingly more conventional relationships a' la Paula Modersohn-Becker & Otto Modersohn.
Claudel & Rodin, Münter & Kandinsky or Saint Phalle & Tinguely - the
names of these artist couples are known to almost every friend of the
arts. So it is all the more surprising that there has never been a comprehensive
exhibition that has examined the subject of “Couples in
Art”. In a world premiere that opens on 31 October 2008, the Wallraf
will show how artists have influenced and inspired one another
through their love for one another. The exhibition “Artist Couples –
Love, Art and Passion”, looks at the lives, the love and the work that
united thirteen celebrated artist pairs. Tempestuous and scandalous
liaisons such as between Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera will be presented
alongside seemingly more conventional relationships à la
Paula Modersohn-Becker & Otto Modersohn. Regardless of how the
romances between the individual artists developed, the exhibition
demonstrates that they all had an enormous creative process in
common. And even after their love faded, some of these couples
continued to remain deeply influenced by one another in their creative
output. Niki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely for instance both allowed
the other to cast a critical eye at any time on their work – even years
after they had separated.
The around one hundred works on show at the Wallraf until 8 February
2009 will tell of the influence of love on art. Artist Couples – Love,
Art and Passion offers a unique behind-the-scenes insight into this
fascinating topic. And it takes the visitor through some of the most
thrilling chapters of art history and the passing epochs: from Expressionism
(Gabriele Münter & Wassily Kandinsky, or Marianne von
Werefkin & Alexej von Jawlensky) to Dada (Hannah Höch & Raoul
Hausmann), and right up to “Action Painting” (Lee Krasner & Jackson
Pollock). The exhibition receives the kind support of the Kunststiftung
NRW and will travel on from Cologne to The Hague. It will be on show
there from 21 February to 1 June 2009 at the Gemeentemuseum.
Overview of the artists who will be represented:
1. Camille Claudel (1864-1943) & Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
2. Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) & Otto Modersohn (1865-1943)
3. Marianne von Werefkin (1860-1938) & Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941)
4. Gabriele Münter (1877-1962) & Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
5. Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) & Michail Larionov (1881-1964)
6. Hannah Höch (1889-1978) & Raoul Hausmann (1886-1971)
7. Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889-1943) & Hans Arp (1886-1966)
8. Sonia Delaunay-Terk (1885-1979) & Robert Delaunay (1885-1941)
9. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) & Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946)
10. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) & Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
11. Lee Krasner (1908-1984) & Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
12. Ray Eames (1912-1988) & Charles Eames (1907-1978)
13. Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) & Jean Tinguely (1925-1991)
Pressoffice – Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
Stefan Swertz
0178-7047658
wallraf-presse@museenkoeln.de
Press Preview: Thursday, 30 October, 11 a.m.
Wallraf-Richartz Museum - Fondation Corboud
Martinstrasse 39 - Koln
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Every Thursday till 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays
Admission: 10 Euro (reduction: 6 Euro)