2023-11-07 23:41:19
Berlin – “Every scratch destroys radicalism.” Museum Vice President Joachim Jäger looks tense. In the Berlin National Gallery, a six meter long painting is transported through very narrow door openings. Team work is required on Monday when “Who is Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue IV” by the American artist Barnett Newman (1905-1970) is installed for the upcoming permanent exhibition. The picture, created in 1969/1970 and consisting of huge red, blue and yellow colored areas, is part of the new collection presentation “Zerreißprobe”, which opens on November 18th.
The radically abstract painting caused a stir in the iconic museum building by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) back in the 1980s. The National Gallery’s support group acquired the work of art for 1.2 million dollars (around 2.7 million marks at the time). The price, which was criticized as being too high, caused a huge stir and even threats against the museum team.
The turbulence culminated in a direct attack. In 1982, shortly after purchasing the picture, a young man sneaked into the rooms of the National Gallery and hit the painting with part of the barrier. The restoration took a long time and the picture was not exhibited again until 1984.
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The new collection presentation “Order Test. Art between Politics and Society” shows works from the years 1945 to 2000. Divided into 14 chapters, the exhibition deals with central artistic and social themes of the 20th century, including politics and society, identity and nature, but also everyday life and pop.
The division and disruption of time become particularly clear in one room. There you will find, among other things, works of art with a connection to the GDR; on Monday, a bust of the German philosopher Karl Marx, weighing more than 300 kilograms, was erected by the sculptor Heinrich Drake (1881-1970).
The exhibition runs until September 2025. Only around 15 percent of the collection from this time will be hanging in the Neue Nationalgalerie; there is no space for more. That’s why the Museum of the 20th Century is being built next door. The project, which costs around 450 million euros, is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
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