Art Nouveau

Around 1900, young visionary artists in Munich set out to revolutionise art and reform life. At a time of rapid scientific and technical innovation and social upheaval, they were involved in the search for a fairer and more sustainable way of life. Artists such as Richard Riemerschmid, Hermann Obrist and Margarethe von Brauchitsch turned away from historical models to find a new art that would permeate life down to the smallest detail. Their ideas and designs form the basis for the art and design of modernity.
With over 400 objects from painting, graphic art, sculpture, photography, design and fashion, the exhibition sheds light on Munich's role as the cradle of Art Nouveau in Germany and shows how topical the issues of life discussed at the time still are today.
Munich's reputation as a cosmopolitan cultural metropolis with outstanding training and exhibition opportunities attracted artists from all over Europe at the end of the 19th century. In this climate open to innovation, the magazine Jugend was published from 1896, with a programme dedicated to all areas of life. It was soon to give its name to the new movement. The colourful covers of the magazine, which were always designed in a different style by Richard Riemerschmid, Bruno Paul and Hans Christiansen, among others, make it clear that Art Nouveau was not a uniform artistic movement. Rather, it becomes clear that the artists of this style dealt with the major issues of their time in an aesthetically diverse way. Art Nouveau. Made in Munich presents in ten chapters the pioneering ideas and sources of inspiration from which the artists who trained or worked in Munich developed their respective styles. Aspects such as gender equality, a healthy life in harmony with nature and the democratisation of art and society form the background against which the tour unfolds.
The design of the exhibition by Bodo Sperlein provides a link to contemporary arts and crafts. Inspired by the art of Art Nouveau, the designer and artist presents the exhibited works in a modern way.

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Last edited on 28.11.2024