Swiss, popular or unknown ?
The Zentrum Paul Klee shows the
"unknown" side of a popular artist: Max Bill
Architect, artist, designer and theorist, Max Bill was an incredible fruitful man. From the creation of 2 artists groups: Gruppe Z and Die Augen, to the development of the Abstraction-Création movement in Paris.
Therefore, the exhibition, Max Bill, Global focus on all of those links, periods and creative decades will make a dialogue between Bill's works and his friend such as Piet Mondrian, Hans Arp or popular artist such as Donald Judd or Andy Warhol.
1920 - Dessau
In the 1920, Max Bill went to the Bauhaus School in Dessau (Germany). Therefore, his students and career goals was to become an architect, but as he never learned it before the Bauhaus, he has to go to the preliminary classes of Josef Albers.
As the months flow, he attended more and more classes not related to architecture, such as the one with Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy. Therefore, most of his inspirations we're taken from those classes and the encounter he had with the Constructivist and De Stijl Movement.
In the exhibition, many of his instructors enter in dialogue with Bill's work and life. Therefore, many of those teachers will become friends, colleagues and countless inspirations.
1930 - Paris
While Bill work in Zürich, He wanted to extend his network of friends and galleries in Paris, with the support of Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Hans Arp. As his arriving, he immediately joined the group "Abstraction-Création", composed of the Arp couple, Auguste Herbin, Jean Hélion, and many artists of the avant-garde.
All of them were and advocated for a non-objective Concrete Art, and to create a new image with a figurative subject. Therefore, they will use point, line, plane and color to diversity their means and create their own identity.
As early as 1933, he will exhibit his new works, such as the long sculpture, from 1933, with works from his friends and mentor. He will then use this first experience as an Artist-curator to create numerous exhibitions in Switzerland, featuring his works and the one from his college, will giving them the opportunity to publish a small essay about their work and practice.
Beside all of this, Bill establish himself as a Swiss architect. He will design the Swiss pavilion from the Milan Triennial in 1936 and wrote numerous essays and articles about architecture.
After the war: free
After and during the second world war, the theory of Max Bill was published abroad Europe. Therefore, South America will shake the artist scene of Brazil and São Paulo, from László Moholy-Nagy to the São Paulo Biennial.
Therefore, the text of Bill's on concrete art reshaped what South American art should be. Indeed, he publicity shows his oeuvre at the Museum de Arte de São Paulo in 1951 and one of his sculpture, the Tripartite unity (1947/1948) was awarded to the São Paulo Biennial.
Those, the Brazilian avant-garde gained a special interested into Bill's oeuvre, and the concrete art movement, and the European modernism. At the same time, Brazil wanted to reshape itself into a cultural hub for South America. He will then travel to Brazil in 1953, top be a juror for the 2nd São Paulo Biennial.
1960 - USA
In 1961, Max Bill move back to Lausanne to create the architecture of the Sector Expo 64, at the Swiss National Exposition.
At that time, he reiterates his importance of paintings and his inspirations and dedications to the square and the Aubette/De Stijl movement. But, also to the abstract picture of the American art, and moreover of the Josef Albers series of Homage to the Square (consisting of 2 000 work).
He also stayed in contact with the Bauhaus School through many artists/teachers such as László Moholy-Nagy and Walter Gropius (the first director of the Bauhaus).
But, in 1939, as the war started, and like many artists, Bill's wanted to move to the United States, while taking English lessons, but it never happens. Therefore, Bill's will realised his dream in the 1960, when he will extensively travel to the USA where he visited many cultural institutions while having numerous lectures and studio visits. He also discover the work of Donald Judd, Carl Andre and Richard Serra and more globally to Minimal art.
Not just an artist, a curator
While making a lot of work as an influencial artist, Bill was also an important curator of the Concrete Art Movement. Therefore, he organized many exhibitions and publications about Hans Arp, František Kupka, Antoine Pevsner, Piet Mondrian, Josef Albers, Georges Vantongerloo, and Wassily Kandinsky.
Informations about the exhibition
Place: Zentrum Paul Klee
Date: 16.9.2021 – 9.1.2022
Curators: Dr. Fabienne Eggelhöfer
Ticket: Available on the website of the Zentrum Paul Klee OR at the front desk of the museum
Informations about the Zentrum Paul Klee
Zentrum Paul Klee
Monument im Fruchtland 3
CH-3001 Bern
Phone: +41 31 359 01 01
Fax: +41 31 359 01 02
Mail: info@zpk.org