Distant Gaze: New Objectivity and Realisms in Central Europe (1925-1933)

The international exhibition Distant Gaze: New Objectivity and Realisms in Central Europe (1925-1933) focuses on the historical period of the second half of the 1920s and early 1930s in Central Europe, when expressionism, then dominant movement in modern art, lost its momentum and gave way to new artistic tendencies. After the traumatic experience of the World War I, the 1920s saw a major turning point, not only in politics and economy but also in arts and culture. Visual arts of the 1920s developed the style of new realisms, whose often objective, resigned and ironic expression corresponded with the Zeitgeist of that era.

After the end of the World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic, Central Europe remained stuck in a period of turbulent political, social and cultural upheaval. This caused notions of helplessness and consequent cynicism among many people, especially in the urban centres, since it was clear that the social, economic and political system was unsustainable in the long term. Therefore, art followed the general sociopolitical situation and new objectivity or new realisms were a logical reaction to what was happening in the society; the turn towards purified realisms, classicisms and new visual media reflected common aspiration to return to order and hope that tumultuous political and economic situation would defuse. On the other hand, the new realisms were a highly engaged artistic movement that in a way anticipated the future radicalisation of society, the totalitarianisms of the 1930s and, ultimately, the upcoming war.

The exhibition aims to contribute to a more profound insight into artistic production in the period 1925-1933 in the wider Central European geographical and cultural context, and to offer an opportunity to analyse the social processes of the time through art, which is, after all, always a mirror of a Zeitgeist. Furthermore, the exhibition focuses on the peripheral manifestations of new objectivity and new realisms in Central Europe, focusing in particular on some of the smaller but no less important cultural (urban) hubs, such as Chemnitz, Halle, Graz, Budapest, Brno, Sofia, Rijeka, Zagreb, Maribor and Ljubljana.

The exhibition will showcase works by number of artists from the wider Central European cultural milieu:

Emma Abram, Anna Bartoniek, Vladimir Becić, Giovanni Colacicchi, Stane Cuderman, Ivan Čargo, Avgust Černigoj, Tošo Dabac, Gyula Derkovits, Zoran Didek, Otto Dix, Petar Dobrović, Marianne Dufour, Cata Dujšin Ribar, Conrad Felixmüller, Hans Finsler, Jaromír Funke, Jenő Gábor, Ladislao de Gauss, Pencho Georgiev, Olaf Globočnik, Jože Gorjup, France Gorše, George Grosz, Božidar Jakac, Alexander Kanoldt, Imre Kinszki, Karlo Kocjančič, Gojmir Anton Kos, Ivan Kos, Tine Kos, France Kralj, Mara Kralj, Tone Kralj, Fran Krašovec, Stane Kregar, Jan Lauschmann, Marius Ledda, Gerda Leo, Peter Loboda, Miha Maleš, Ida Maly, Piero Marussig, France Mihelič, Jerolim Miše, Mario Moschi, Franjo Mosinger, Omer Mujadžić, Živorad Nastasijević, Dana Pajnič Oražem, József Pécsi, Gregor Perušek, Veno Pilon, Nikolaj Pirnat, Elda Piščanec, Oton Postružnik, Mira Pregelj, Ivo Režek, Nasta Rojc, Cagnaccio di San Pietro, Ekaterina Savova Nenova, Georg Schrimpf, Maksim Sedej, Janko Skerlep, Hinko Smrekar, Orlando Sora, Franjo Stiplovšek, Vladimir Štoviček, Zlatko Šulentić, Sava Šumanović, Đuro Tiljak, Ivana Tomljenović Meller, Marijan Trepše, Ante Trstenjak, Kiril Tsonev, Vladimir Varlaj, Drago Vidmar, Nande Vidmar, Géza Vörös, Eugen Wiškovský, Johannes Wohlfart, Gustav Wunderwald, Karl Yordanov.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication with contributions from an interdisciplinary team of experts.

The works for the exhibition were loaned from:

Galerija Miha Maleš, MM:K – Medobčinski muzej Kamnik
Galerija umjetnina, Split
Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz – Museum Gunzenhauser, Stiftung Gunzenhauser, Chemnitz
Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale)
Ljudski muzej, Rogaška Slatina
Magyar Fotográfiai Múzeumról, Kecskemét
Magyar Nemzeti Galéria, Budapest
Mart, Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, Collezione VAF-Stiftung, Rovereto
MGML (Mestni muzej Ljubljana)
Mestni muzej Krško
Moderna galerija, Ljubljana
Moravské galerie, Brno
Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti, Rijeka
Muzej novejše in sodobne zgodovine Slovenije, Ljubljana
Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Zagreb & Arhiv Tošo Dabac, Grad Zagreb
Muzej za arhitekturo in oblikovanje, Ljubljana
Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, Zagreb
Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb
Narodna galerija, Ljubljana
Neue Galerie Graz am Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz
Pilonova galerija Ajdovščina
Posavski muzej Brežice
Софийска градска художествена галерия [Sofia City Art Gallery]
Tolminski muzej, Tolmin
Umetniška zbirka Kroples, Grosuplje
Umetnostna galerija Maribor
private owners