Like 20th century European modern art? Don't miss this exhibition in Berlin | Art Museum | Art
On the morning of August 15th at 10 o'clock, as soon as the museum opened, there were spectators rushing into the exhibition hall to buy tickets at the entrance of UCCA Edge in Shanghai. About half an hour later, the first floor exhibition hall was already filled with quiet guests. Many people bend down and carefully study the details of the picture. How can there be so many viewers on weekdays? The on-site staff have long been accustomed to it.
The modernist stroll: The Berlin National Museum of Fine Arts Exhibition, presented jointly by UCCA and the Berlin National Museum of Fine Arts, has become one of the most popular exhibitions at UCCA Edge since its launch on June 22. According to statistics, there are about 500 visitors on weekdays, and over a thousand visitors on weekends have become the norm, with many visitors from other places dragging suitcases. On social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, "Modernist Strolling" is also a popular check-in spot, praised by many as "one of the must see exhibitions in Shanghai.". How to appreciate "modernist stroll" and why can it have such great appeal?
Narrating the evolution of art in chronological order
The modernist stroll: Berlin's National Museum of Fine Arts Collection Exhibition gathers nearly a hundred representative works of six 20th century modern art giants, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henry Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Paul C é zanne, and George Braque. Through the presentation of Cubism, Surrealism, and various abstract forms of expression, it traces the evolution of 20th century European modern art.
According to Zhang Yao, the exhibition project manager and assistant curator of the UCCA Edge Exhibition Department, the exhibits exhibited this time account for about one-third of the total collection of the Berlin National Museum of Art, and are all making their debut in China. Unlike the classification of works by artists during exhibitions at Tokyo and Osaka stations, the Shanghai station adopts a chronological structure based on the creation time of the works. This is a joint idea between the UCCA Edge Exhibition Department and the Bo Gu Rui Art Museum.
"There are two benefits to using a chronological exhibition format. Firstly, the works of these artists can be viewed within the social context of the time. Secondly, different artists' reactions to the same historical event can be seen." For example, at the corner of the exhibition hall on the third floor, there is a large piece of Picasso's work "Blue Guitar Still Life" and two small pieces of Paul Klee's "Flat Architecture" and "Scenes between Girls" displayed together, which were created around the same period. At this time, Picasso was exploring the combination of cubism and classicism, while Paul Klee, who taught at Bauhaus, devoted his energy to issues related to plane geometry and solid geometry. His work presented a completely different direction of exploration. This is a layout that has never been used in the exhibition halls of the Bo Gu Rui Art Museum, and foreign curators find it interesting.
This exhibition features the works of six artists, but in fact, there is only one work by George Blake. He and Picasso are both Cubist painters, and if the audience does not pay attention, it may be difficult to find where Blake is. In the second floor exhibition hall, Picasso's "Cards, Tobacco, Bottles and Glasses" and Blake's "Pipe Still Life" are adjacent, both created in 1914, the year when World War I broke out. From the comparison of the two paintings, it can be seen that Picasso was not as concerned about politics at that time. His work style was relatively peaceful, and Blake was called up to the military that year, ending his collaboration with Picasso, which also meant the strict end of Cubism. Compared to World War I, the impact and destruction of World War II on Europe were more severe and reflected more in artistic creation. For example, Picasso's 1942 "The Great Leaning Nude" no longer has a sense of peace, but is filled with a terrifying atmosphere of war and personal oppression and anger.
Specially adjusting the lighting for the best viewing angle
Why is there only one Blake piece in the entire exhibition? Zhang Yao introduced that the National Museum of Bogurui Art in Berlin was created and named by Heinz Bogurui, a German legendary art dealer and collector. The selection of works reflects Bogurui's personal collection interest, and the entire museum's collection only includes two works by Blake. Perhaps for some reason, Mr. Bogurui did not collect too many works by Blake, but as one of the pioneers of Cubism, Blake is a very important artist in art history. Interestingly, Bogurui had personal relationships with Picasso and others, and only Paul Klee was unable to "add friends". Among his collections, Paul Klee's works are precisely the most. The more than 30 representative works of Paul Klee that appeared in this exhibition are also the most comprehensive display of him in China so far.
Bo Gurui is skilled in collecting and packaging his works. The frames in this exhibition were all custom-made by Bo Gurui for his works, almost different and distinctive, but sometimes they also caused trouble during the exhibition. "These works are all at the cultural relic level, and there are requirements for lighting intensity. Paper works should not exceed 50 lumens, and oil paintings should not exceed 150 lumens." Zhang Yao explained that during the exhibition, the staff will use a photometer to strictly control the lighting intensity limit of the spotlights above the screen. Due to the thickness of some frames, shadows may appear when the light shines down from above. For example, Picasso's masterpiece "The Yellow Sweater" depicts a portrait of his lover Dora Mare wearing a yellow sweater and a blue hat. According to the original lighting arrangement, the shadow of the frame will cover the hat. In order to remove the shadows, the exhibition staff adjusted various angles on site, and finally had to add a light rail to give the audience a better viewing effect.
It is worth mentioning that the exhibition wall on site is not flat, but presents an inward curve in the corners of the wall. This is to allow the audience to get closer to the details and not touch the work. "Compared to the hard isolation method of blocking a one meter line, this curved design can make people feel no distance psychologically." Zhang Yao found that many viewers shared check-in photos in the exhibition hall on social media, although some people focused on their own clothing, they did not feel anything was wrong. "We welcome viewers to take photos and check in. Nowadays, 'internet celebrity exhibition' seems to have become a derogatory term, but internet celebrity also means widespread dissemination, attracting more people to come and see, which is one of the purposes of making an exhibition. After the opening of the art museum exhibition, it is like making a sumptuous table of dishes. We have used the best ingredients and techniques, but what each diner wants to eat and how much they can digest depends on their own needs."
After the exhibition ends on October 8th, it will tour to the UCCA Ullens Contemporary Art Center in Beijing. The "Matisse of Matisse" currently on display in Beijing will take over and arrive in Shanghai in November. Zhang Yao revealed that "Matisse of Matisse" will exhibit more than 270 works of Matisse, including paintings, sketches, clothing design, Paper Cuttings, etc., which is a complete review of his art career. All the exhibits come from Matisse's hometown, the Matisse Museum of Art in Northern Province of France. "Friends who are interested in Matisse should not miss it." Zhang Yao still remembers that when the 2014 K11 Art Museum's "Impressionist Master Monet Exhibition" sparked a wave of art master exhibitions in Shanghai, he was still studying in Beijing and made a special trip to Shanghai to visit.
Nowadays, authentic works of famous artists frequently come to Shanghai, and high-quality art master exhibitions are blooming everywhere in Shanghai. The content of the "Modernist Stroll" exhibition also continues the previous Shanghai Museum's "From Botticelli to Van Gogh - National Gallery of Fine Arts Collection Exhibition", allowing visitors to enjoy the 500 year history of art development in Europe without leaving Shanghai.
"In fact, we have been planning and introducing this exhibition since 2020. Shanghai has a diverse urban cultural heritage and a sufficient number of visitors who enjoy watching exhibitions, which can support such an exhibition market. We are glad that these exhibitions can form a linkage in Shanghai, and each art museum is doing exhibitions that they are interested in and capable of completing, allowing visitors to see international art works with more complete veins, richer perspectives, and more diverse genres in Shanghai." Zhang Yao said.
