between system&intuition: CONCRETE ARTISTS

The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart has developed an exhibition on concrete-constructivist works of art between the world wars and on Concrete Art and poetry after 1945. The exhibition presents the work and achievements of first-generation women “Concrete Artists”, such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Sonia Delaunay and later Aurelie Nemours, Verena Loewensberg, Vera Molnar and Lily Greenham. The featured groups include the “Salon des Réalités Nouvelles” in Paris, the “Gruppe Allianz” in Zürich and “New Tendencies” in Zagreb.

The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart will present these female artists together for the first time in Germany and shed light on sociological issues which have never been systematically investigated nor displayed in such detail. What kind of academic training and presentation conditions were available to women between the two world wars and after 1945? What networks and patrons allowed them to develop their work? The stories behind the artworks reveal the kind of hurdles women had to surmount to succeed as artists. The exhibition also highlights the efforts of female gallery owners, e.g. the Parisian gallerist Denise René.

The artistic positions of Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Sonia Delaunay serve as the starting point of the exhibition. Taeuber-Arp was not only an artist, but also a typographer and journalist. Her educational work as head of the textile class at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts had a formative impact on many younger female artists. Sonia Delaunay was a textile designer, set designer and illustrator. Both artists were entrepreneurs and the breadwinners of their families. Their extensive networks played a pivotal role in popularising contemporary artistic movements.

Artistic director: Eva-Marina Froitzheim

Artists: Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Sonia Delaunay, Clara Friedrich-Jezler, Katarzyna Kobro, Marcel Cahn, Aurelie Nemours, Verena Loewensberg, Vera Molnar, Lily Greenham, Geneviève Claisse, Mary Vieira, Charlotte Posenenske, Denise René