On October 24, a touring exhibition of almost 100 artworks drawn from McMaster Museum of Art’s extensive collection opens at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Curated by McMaster’s Senior Curator Dr. Ihor Holubizky, this exhibition loan is the largest in the Museum’s history and highlights McMaster’s specialist collection of German Expressionist Art.

The exhibition, titled Living Building Thinking: Art and Expressionism, explores the development and trajectories of Expressionism in art from the early 19th century to present day through the work of 50 artists including Otto Dix, Edvard Munch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Käthe Kollwitz, Max Beckmann and Anselm Kiefer.

The term Expressionism is invariably identified with the period of art and social activism in Germany between 1905 and 1937, encompassing visual art, literature, philosophy, theatre, film, photography, and architecture. In the context of an expanded view on the subject, the why and what of Expressionism offers a rich and thought-provoking perspective on the relationship of the artist and society, and the ever-changing responses and visual expressions that circulate through shared hopes and aspirations for social awareness and change.

The exhibition comprises paintings, drawings, prints, books, camera work and video—from formative historical works of the 19th century, hallmarks of the modern age, to contemporary works that include Canadian artists who underscore the continuing relevance and challenges in today’s society.

Ihor Holubizky will be presenting a Talk at the Art Gallery of Alberta prior to the opening:

Encounters with the Self and the Triumph of Misery
Friday, October 23, 6:30 pm.

VENUES

Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton
October 24, 2015 – February 15, 2016

McMaster Museum of Art, McMaster University, Hamilton
August 31 – December 23, 2016