Our tips for the weekend
Art in exchange with past times
Drawing conclusions about the present by looking into the past - just before the end of the year, a number of exhibitions offer the opportunity to compare the past with the present in works of art. Well-known contemporary and emerging artists take us on journeys into past times and highlight the significance of historical events for the present. In Düsseldorf, there is also a special exhibition on electro music and its media influences.
December 10, 2021
Kehinde Wiley in dialogue with grand master landscape painting
U.S. painter Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977) is best known for his portraits depicting Black people in the style of Old Master paintings. This exhibition at the National Gallery in London focuses on Wiley's exploration of European landscape painting around 1800. Through paintings and video works, Wiley takes a contemporary look at famous works of the Romantic period. The exhibition is free and opens December 10.
Matthias Withoos in dialogue with his descendant Hans Withoos
Not far from London, a similarly conceived exhibition is taking place in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. A Different Light on Withoos presents photographs by Hans Withoos (b. 1962) alongside paintings by his ancestors, especially Matthias Withoos, dating back to the 17th century. The photographic works comment on the centuries-old paintings and seem like surrealistic versions of them. It's an exciting exhibition of 350 years of art from one family, starting December 12 at the Flehite Museum.
Winner of the C/O Berlin Talent Award exhibits at Amerika Haus in Berlin
The young Italian-Senegalese artist Adji Dieye (*1991) has won this year's C/O Berlin Talent Award. The solo exhibition associated with the award at Amerika Haus in Berlin begins on December 11 and will primarily feature her winning entry: Culture Lost and Learned by Heart, a work between sculpture and photography that looks at archival material from French colonial rule in Senegal. In addition to critically questioning the truths of photographs, Dieye also explores how old visual material is used politically today.
»Electro. From Kraftwerk to Techno« draws connection between electronic music and artistic production
The Düsseldorf Kunstpalast is also concerned with the influences of art: Electro. Von Kraftwerk bis Techno is a multimedia show that reveals the connections between electronic music and artistic works such as performance, video and graphic design. Special attention is given to the internationally influential group Kraftwerk. 500 exhibits, some of them interactive, of the truly special exhibition can be viewed in Düsseldorf since December 9.
© Peter Boettcher, Courtesy of Sprüth Magers
Kraftwerk, Der Katalog – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, Roboter, 3D-Konzert, K20, Kunstsammlung NRW, Düsseldorf 2013
Dive deeper into the art world
Wolfsberg: Georg Brandner’s Anniversary Exhibition
Abstraction of a Life
Continuation of the anniversary exhibitions: In 2026, Georg Brandner will celebrate his 70th birthday and his 50th anniversary as a freelance artist. He is presenting his works in various Austrian cities, with the next stop being Wolfsberg: On June 30 at 6:30 p.m., the exhibition Georg Brandner – 70 Years of Art will open at Galerie Atelier Berndt.
June 26, 2026
Ghent, Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst
The Shelf as a Mirror of Society
An exhibition on the conservation and restoration of unusual materials in works of art: On June 27, the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst in Ghent will open the exhibition Joseph Beuys | Wirtschaftswerte: a conservation history, centered on Beuys’s renowned work.
June 26, 2026
