From May 21 to August 23, 2009, the MKM is showcasing one of the most important and influential artists of our time: Gerhard Richter. Entitled “Paintings from Private Collections”, this exhibition features some 80 paintings which originated in the years from 1963 to 2007, and comprises some of artist’s key works, drawn from the Böckman (Berlin), Burda (Baden-Baden) and Ströher (MKM / Darmstadt) collections. Among the paintings on loan from the Ströher Collection are early masterpieces such as “Family at the Seaside“ or “Cow“. In addition, Gerhard Richter is also making available to the exhibition works in his own possession.

The exhibition is presenting Richter’s groundbreaking oeuvre in all its complexity, including works rarely accessible to the general public. On view are canvases charting the artist’s major periods, ranging from his early photo-paintings to the large-scale abstracts of recent years. Essentially Gerhard Richter’s primary interest is the medium of painting and the exploration of its possibilities and limitations, of determination and chance, and of the impact of colour. The presentation of his oeuvre in the rooms of the Küppersmühle Museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, was planned by Gerhard Richter himself using a model, and, in collaboration with museum director Walter Smerling, he has supervised the hanging. As a complement to the exhibition, the MKM’s collection room, boasting other key works by Richter from the Ströher Collection, will remain open to visitors.

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