30 April 2017

The artist as chronicler, seen at the exhibition 'Otto Dix - The Evil Eye' at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf, Germany announces the prolongation of the popular exhibition 'Otto Dix - The Evil Eye' until 28 May before it will travel to Tate Liverpool, UK where visitors can explore the chronic of the especially 1920s through the artist's critical eye.

Kunstsammlung NRW delivers pre-information for visitors on their website in German and English about Otto Dix' early years as painter in Düsseldorf, his critical views on war and the war machinery, as well as a selection of exhibited images and the (German spoken) trailer (embedded below). At the Last mentioned, curator Susanne Meyer-Büser explains that the exhibition is a story located at the Weimar Republic with artist Otto Dix in the main role. Therefore, the exhibition makers are using the life of Otto Dix (portrait photo at the image above right) as red thread which leads through the time after the 1st World War in the 1920ies in Düsseldorf with reflections back on war-time which are also expressed in Dix' art. The soldier (1915 - 1919), the artist, the human Otto Dix leads into different spheres of living in Germany, especially in Düsseldorf. Images of women (such as the one above, left) provide also insights into fashion and the new roles women have begun to play in the cultural life during Weimar time. The portrait of dancer Anita Berber in red dress is especially mentioned at the video as example for Otto Dix' special style which was developed by the artist in 1923: Otto Dix incorporated Old Master's techniques of painting several layers above each other into his modern art works.

As tribute to Otto Dix who was an excellent Charleston- and Shimmy-dancer, Kunstsammlung NRW invites visitors on 3 May to a special 'Music & Dance' event.

fig. left: 'Bildnis der Tänzerin Anita Berber' (Portrait of the dancer Anita Berber) by Otto Dix, 1925; Öl und Tempera auf Sperrholz. Sammlung Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, im Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2016. Photo: Kunstmuseum Stuttgart. © Kunstsammlung NRW.

fig. right: Portrait of Otto Dix, 1919, photographer unknown. Otto Dix Stiftung. Photo: © Kunstsammlung NRW. The portrait was used for the cover of the exhibition catalogue (German/English) 'Otto Dix - Der böse Blick/The Evil Eye' (published by Prestel Verlag).

After 28 May, the Kunstsammlung NRW exhibition travels to Tate Liverpool where the art works will be paired with the show of August Sander's portrait photography series 'People of the 20th Century' (on view from 23 June until 15 October).




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