Modern Art from the Collection, 1910-1918 at the Guggenheim New York

Written by Alexander Griffin-Smith Monday, 04 April 2011 01:58

New York, NY - When Vasily Kandinsky and Franz Marc formed Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group in late 1911, the artists predicted a watershed in the arts, a große Umwälzung (great upheaval) that would radically challenge traditional artistic production. Undoubtedly, tremendous creativity and innovation characterized the years leading up to World War I, especially 1910–14. Cubism achieved recognition in Paris, sparking new artistic directions in France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia. Art’s more expressionistic manifestations were at an equally momentous stage in Germany and Austria; Kandinsky wrote his influential treatise On the Spiritual in Art in late 1911 (published 1912), and abstraction took hold.

The Great Upheaval: Modern Art from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910–1918 features more than 100 works from the museum’s holdings, attesting to this period of collaboration, interchange, synthesis, and innovation. The exhibition is on view until June 1st 2011, at the Guggenheim Museum, New York

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of courses, taught by independent artists and conservators, which link lectures with guided tours. Lectures and guided tours are also provided. The museum is also hosting films and music from the period, with In Nacht und Eis (In Night and Ice) directed by Mime Misu in 1912 on April 15th, Umirayushchii lebed (The Dying Swan) directed by Egeni Bauer in 1916 showing on April 22, May 6 and May 13 and Chaplin Shorts directed by Charlie Chaplin, in 1915–17 on May 20 and 27th. During the decade leading up to the first world war, composers such as Debussy, Schoenberg, Scriabin, and Stravinsky were writing music in active dialogue with the social upheavals, intellectual currents, and political events of their day, embracing the same radical spirit that inspired their colleagues in the visual arts. This gallery program highlights selections of music from 1910–18 alongside the works in The Great Upheaval. A talk by American composer R. Luke DuBois precedes a concert of “Bright Field”: Music and Modernism by R. Luke Dubois on Tuesday, May 24.





An internationally renowned art museum and one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, the Guggenheim Museum is at once a vital cultural center, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums. Visitors can experience special exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, lectures by artists and critics, performances and film screenings, classes for teens and adults, and daily tours of the galleries led by experienced docents. Founded on a collection of early modern masterpieces, the Guggenheim Museum today is an ever-growing institution devoted to the art of the 20th century and beyond.The permanent collection of the Guggenheim Foundation embodies the institution’s distinctive history, which has intersected with and catalyzed the development of 20th and 21st century art. The story of the Guggenheim collection is essentially the story of several very different private collections that have been brought together. Augmented through numerous acquisitions under the leadership of the Foundation’s directors, curators, and international partners, these collections form a unique, shared global collection that reflects the rich trajectory of art from the mid-19th century through the present. Visit the museum's website at ...www.guggenheim.org/new-york

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