The German-American painter, graphic artist and caricaturist George Grosz (1893-1959) is one of the most famous artists of classical modernism and, with regard to his drastic and revealing depictions, is still one of the most politically ambitious artists of the 20th century.
George Grosz belongs to the generation of artists who experienced two world wars and whose works significantly shaped the historical image of the 20th century. To document this eventful era, Grosz presents a daring, radically revealing work that is now part of the visual iconography of the Weimar Republic. The declared war opponent used his sharp pen, drawings and grotesques as a sharp weapon.
The exhibition presents around 150 works from Grosz's most important creative periods, primarily works on paper from his years in Berlin, but also works from his time of emigration to New York and Long Island. There are also selected positions by following and contemporary artists who seek a comparable approach to socio-political topics. The rarely shown early works of Andy Warhol in connection with Life magazine certainly form the most astonishing link. Contemporary works by Birgit Brenner, Jonathan Meese, Julian Rosefeldt, Dash Snow and others reveal exciting parallels to the present day. Some artists such as Daniel Richter and Neal Fox name him as artist's artist.
The exhibition is co-curated by Annette Vogel (Munich) and Erik Stephan (Jena).