VG Bild-Kunst / Repro: Jörg P. Anders
The result of an enormous research effort, Berlinische Galerie’s exhibition on the Novembergruppe is a remarkable first attempt at a comprehensive retrospective. Beginning with the association’s inception in Berlin during the 1918 November revolution it more or less chronologically follows them to their final show in 1932, before the Nazis seized power. The 119 pieces of the group’s hugely influential modernist and avant-garde work is shown in rooms entitled “Liberating energies of the new Art” or “Dada and Scandal”, and entire sections are dedicated to experimental film and architecture, including physical models by the likes of Mies van der Roheand Martin Gropius. The list of artists is long,including, among others, Paul Klee, Hannah Höch, Piet Mondrian, George Grosz and Otto Dix. But with its spacious layout, the show succeeds in not overloading the viewer while providing detailed information in the form of captions and the (preferable) audio guide. A smart choice was to separate the archival section from the exhibits in the final room, allowing the art to speak for itself.
Through Mar 11
