Optional Program

The exhibition was prepared in cooperation with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.
Czech photography produced and produces leading figures in all areas of photography – from classical documentary photojournalism to surrealism, realism or avant-garde works. From 13 March 2009 on, the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany is presenting over 400 photographic works, a historical mosaic of Czech photography from 1900 until the late 20th century that underlines the international reputation enjoyed by Czech photography today. That reputation is not only apparent in the outstanding contributions by such renowned artists as Josef Sudek, Karel Hájek, Václav Jírů, Vilém Reichmann, Jan Reich, Jindřich Štreit, Frantisek Drtikol, Jaromír Funke, Jaroslav Rossler, Josef Koudelka and Jan Saudek, but also in works from a host of younger photographers. The exhibition does not only showcase famous names but also less well-known photographers, providing an overall impression of the variation and innovation in Czech photography.

Amedeo Modigliani
17 April - 30 August 2009
Amedeo Modigliani was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His works have long since gained iconic status in our collective pictorial memory. The Art and Exhibition Hall is holding a comprehensive retrospective exhibition to pay tribute to this outstanding artist, who died tragically young at the age of only 35. Born in Italy in 1884, Modigliani was a painter, draughtsman and sculptor. With the exception of a handful of landscapes, his creative energy was entirely devoted to portraits and nudes. Modigliani's paintings are deeply rooted in Italian art history, drawing particularly on the formal languages of the Renaissance and Mannerism. These he combined with elements from Expressionism, Cubism and Symbolism as well as African sculpture, whose perceived primitivism and iconic presence equally fascinated many other avant-garde artists of his day. While Modigliani's work cannot be easily classified as belonging to any contemporary styles such as Cubism or Fauvism, it bears eloquent testimony to the restlessness and exuberance of an artist only too aware of his own vulnerability and mortality, and who needed the euphoria of intoxication to live and work. Even today, Modigliani's idiosyncratic, at times melancholy portraits have lost none of their power to captivate the viewer. The exhibition is structured biographically, reflecting the decisive turning points of his life. The Art and Exhibition Hall hopes to present a representative selection of paintings, drawings and sculptures from 1909 to 1919, giving a vivid impression of the oeuvre of this exceptional artist.

Summit of the Modern Art
The Kunstmuseum Winterthur
The Great Collections
24 April – 23 August 2009
This summit of leading modernist artists provides a veritable feast of outstanding paintings and sculptures – and offers the chance to trace the development from Impressionism to contemporary art through this unique collection of around 240 paintings, sculptures and drawings. This remarkable exhibition at the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn, on show from 24 April to 23 August, comprises works from the Winterthur Art Musuem by a range of artists whose names seem to read like a "Who's Who" of the art world: Arp, Artschwager, Beckmann, Bonnard, Brancusi, Braque, Calder, Cézanne, de Chirico, Delacroix, Delaunay, Dégas, Ernst, Fontana, Giacometti, van Gogh, Guston, Hodler, Kandinsky, Kelly, Kokoschka, Kounellis, Léger, Lehmbruck, Magritte, Maillol, Merz, Miró, Mondrian, Monet, Morandi, Picasso, Renoir, Richter, Rodin, Schlemmer, Sisley, Tanguy, Tapiès and many more. The exceptional collection of the Winterthur Art Museum, offering a complete overview of the period, can be favourably compared to the collections at internationally renowned museums such as the Guggenheim or the Museum of Modern Art. Gerhard Richter even named the Winterthur Art Museum as his favourite museum.

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