LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY.- The Wilhelm-Hack-Museum will present "Der blaue Reiter - Die Befreiung der Farbe" from November 11, 2003 to 29th February 2004. Rediscovering the "Blaue Reiter":  A Unique exhibition in Ludwigshafen displaying approximately 200 major artworks - Early Jawlensky painting will be exhibited for the first time.

In presenting  the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter - Die Befreiung der Farbe", the City of Ludwigshafen on the Rhine and BASF Aktiengesellschaft. explore the diversity of the artists group "Der Blaue Reiter" at the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum from 11th November 2003 to 29th February 2004. The exhibition coincides with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the City of Ludwigshafen" and displays many works that so far have not been exhibited to the public. The exhibition takes place under the patronship of the Prime Minister of Rheinland-Pfalz, Kurt Beck.

The exhibition has been curated by the Museum’s director, Dr. Richard Gassen and will show approximately 200 pieces by 13 artists. The outstanding quality of the exhibition lies in its unique conception as well as in the excellent collaboration of national and international loaners, including many important private collectors.

Among the exhibited works is a unique discovery: During restoration works in 1990 at the back of Jawlensky’s "Großes Stillleben" from 1937 a second painting by Jawlensky appeared. The back of the canvas shows an early painting by Jawlensky from 1905 showing a garden scene. The painting belongs to the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum since the late 80ies and will be on view in the Ludwigshafen exhibition for the very first time. A special mirror construction will enable the visitor to see both paintings.

In ten different sections the works of Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, August Macke, Gabriele Münter, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne Werefkin, Heinrich Campendonk, Alfred Kubin, Paul Klee, Jean-Bloé Niestlé, Robert Delaunay, Arnold Schönberg and Hans Mattis-Teutsch are set into relation to each other. Additionally to the works of the initial inner circle of artists of the "Blaue Reiter", the works of Schönberg and Kubin also make a reference to music and literature.  Niestlé and Mattis-Teutsch are rarely shown artists of the group. Furthermore the exhibition shows the artists’ development beyond the actual core period up to the manifestation of the abstract form.

80 Loaners of National and International Provenance -  The exhibition is based on the works of the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum’s collection. The museum has an extensive collection of avant-garde, especially non figurative art of the 20th century. Among them the Museum owns 35 works by artists of the "Blaue Reiter".  The museum has attracted 80 national and international loaners for this large-scale exhibition. Among the prestigious loaners are: Stedelijk Museum,  Amsterdam, National Galerie,  Berlin, Museum of Art Bern, Switzerland, MissionArt Gallery, Budapest,  Didrichsen Art Museum, Helsinki,  Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland,  Lenbachhaus Museum, Munich,  Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid,  Fondazione Antonio Mazzotta, Milan, Italy,  as well as several top class private collections.

The Exhibition Structure - The introduction section shows Portraits and Self Portraits like the powerful self portrait by Alexej von Jawlensky from 1912, Gabriele Münters self portrait from 1909/1910 and the 1912 self portrait by Heinrich Campendonk, which illustrates the metaphorical language of cubism.

The second section has as its central idea the Image of the Human Being, presenting among others, the painting "Helene im spanischen Kostüm" (1902) by Alexej von Jawlensky, August Mackes "Frau im rotten Sessel" (1910) and a sitting female nude by Heinrich Campendonk (1920/21).  This part is completed by Genre presentations that depict every day life and human integration into nature. Marianne Werefkins funeral scene "Begräbnis" (1907), "Die schwarzen Frauen" (1910) and Gabriele Münters wood engraving "Bauernfamilie" (1912) show the diversity of this topos in various expressions. Social margins are also focused in works like "Stachel, der Clown" (1913) or "Die Akrobaten" (1916) by Paul Klee.

The third section is dedicated to Animal Portrayal. Works of Franz Marc, Heinrich Campendonk and Jean-Bloé Niestlé are on display. For Marc, the animal, contrary to the human being, heralds an existence of innocence and harmony with nature. Marc claims the "non conscious and rather instinct driven" animal to be closer to the "true being of the world, the origin" than the human being. Contrary to this, the animal portrayals by Jean-Bloé Niestlé show an attitude that is purely orientated to the animal by his naturalistic and detailed painting style.

The section Landscape and Nature demonstrates the development of abstract painting through the proceeding autonomy of colour. This process is illustrated by Alexej von Jawlenskys painting "Sommertag" from 1907, Gabriele Münters "Reiflandschaft" (1914) and August Mackes "Landschaft mit Kindern und Ziegen" (1913). In Wassiliy Kandinskys "Entwurf zu Bild mit grüner Mitte"  (1913) the abstract metaphorical language is as dominant as in "Paysage à l’enfant" by Paul Klee (1923), where colour and form are the main pictorial elements. The landscapes by Hans Mattis-Teutsch reveal figurative and abstract form elements, too.

The section City and Village includes realistic views of cityscapes like the depiction of the Saint Mary Church in Bonn, "Bonner Marienkirche im Schnee", by August Macke (1911). There are as well more freely designed architectural studies such as "Das gelbe Haus" by Gabriele Münter (1909). In this work colour is the dominant creative element.  Urban life is clearly portrayed in August Mackes "Modegeschäft am Hafen" (1914) and in Gabriele Münters wood engraving of the Munich square "Habsburger Platz"  (1912). However Paul Klee turns in his composition "Kapelle" (1917) again to a clear manifestation of geometrical forms and colour and consequently turns to a more abstract pictorial language.

Another theme is dedicated to the traditional genre of Still Life, which the painters of the "Blaue Reiter" regarded as an attractive subject. Next to August Macke, represented in the exhibition with "Stilleben mit Hirschkissen" (1911), it was primarily Alexej von Jawlensky, who, over the decades, extensively varied this topic. The exhibition displays his early "Stilleben mit Tasse" (1908), which is composed in vibrant coloured parts.  Another Still Life, the "Große Stilleben" hanging next to it  was finished three decades later in 1937. The same powerful colour formations dominate the composition.

Another section displays Religious Portraiture. Biblical motifs play a vital role in the works of the "Blaue Reiter" and were often inspired from the knowledge and tradition of Christian iconic art. Kandinskys "Grosse Auferstehung" (1911) and Franz Marcs wood engravings depicting the Genesis, "Schöpfungsgeschichte" (1914), are shown here.

There will be on display Gabriele Münters "Pietà" (1912) in the style of the classical avantgarde, Heinrich Campendonks cubist portrait of the sixth day, "Der sechste Tag" (1914) and Alfred Kubins narratively illustrated portrait of Kain from 1923, too.

Two more artistic genres, Music and Literature, are represented in the exhibition with the composer Arnold Schönberg and the author Alfred Kubin.  Wassily Kandinsky often transformed the "thought of sound" in his paintings. An outstanding example of the link between music and painting is  August Mackes "Hommage à Johann Sebastian Bach" (1911), in which the artist transformed musical notation into pictorial signs.

The translation of literal or narrative subjects characterizes the graphic work of Alfred Kubin. His work is presented in the exhibition with a selection of watercolours, drawings and prints.  Works by Heinrich Campendonk and Paul Klee are also displayed: Campendonk with his "Märchen" (1916/17) and Paul Klee with his "Hoffmanneske Szene" (1921).

Another central topic in the work of the artists of the "Blaue Reiter" is Abstraction, or rather the development of an abstract pictorial language. From 1912 to 1919, Wassiliy Kandinsky developed his pictorial language from figuration to pure abstraction, e.g.  "Bild mit weißen Linien" (1913). Hans Mattis-Teutsch, a painter from Siebenbürgen, had also turned to a more abstract pictorial language. Parallel to the Russian Suprematism and the Dutch De Stijl movement, pictorial compositions were composed only by colors, shapes and surface relationships.

Concerts and Lectures - An extended program of lectures and concerts will accompany the exhibition. In the Blue Atelier, sponsored by Iw media gmbh, visitors can choose colours and drawing tools via an interactive computer installation. Visitors can design and produce their own pictures on a TFT-active screen. The pictures can be displayed and printed out.

The Catalogue - The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive catalogue produced by Hatje-Cantz with an introduction by Dr. Richard W. Gassen (publisher), with contributions from Markus Brüderlin, Reinhard Zimmermann, Magdalena M. Moeller, Barbara Alms, Ulrike Lehmann, Dirk Martin, Theresia Kiefer, Tayfun Belgin, Volker Adolphs and Alexandra Dolezych and supplied with many illustrations.

This extensive exhibition "The Blaue Reiter" follows the tradition of successfully staged co-productions between BASF and the City of Ludwigshafen in the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum as the Chagall exhibition in 1990, the Vasarely exhibition of 1997/98 and the Miró exhibition in 2000/2001.