Jörg Immendorff (1945–2007) is considered one of the most significant German artists of the postwar period. His multifaceted body of work is characterized by a persistent engagement with politics and society and by an exploration of the artist’s role and responsibility in his time. The retrospective, organized by the Kunstmuseum Karlsruhe in cooperation with the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, examines all phases of his artistic career—from his early works at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts to the last pieces created in his studio.
Comprising approximately 120 exhibits, the exhibition brings together large-format paintings and series of paintings, wood and bronze sculptures, as well as drawings and archival materials that have rarely or never been shown before. The focus is on key groups of works, such as the politically charged “Café Deutschland” paintings, which impressively document Immendorff’s engagement with the division of Germany and the social realities of his time. At the same time, the exhibition highlights the contradictions and ruptures within his artistic and personal self-conception.
Comprising approximately 120 exhibits, the exhibition brings together large-format paintings and series of paintings, wood and bronze sculptures, as well as drawings and archival materials that have rarely or never been shown before. The focus is on key groups of works, such as the politically charged “Café Deutschland” paintings, which impressively document Immendorff’s engagement with the division of Germany and the social realities of his time. At the same time, the exhibition highlights the contradictions and ruptures within his artistic and personal self-conception.
