Drawn from MoMA's collections, a host of collages by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are on display together for the first time at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen, Germany. The works provide a glimpse into van der Rohe’s design process, yet are also autonomous pieces of art. Displayed beside other artists of the 20th century, they place van der Rohe at the heart of the modernist movement.
Made between the years 1910 and 1965, van der Rohe used these large-scale collages to visualise space, presenting them for competitions, exhibitions and journals and using them to explore his ideas and theories for Neues Bauern or ‘New Building’.
Interior perspective of Project for Concert Hall, 1942, by Mies van der Rohe.
Combining illustration, sketches and photomontage, the collages are architecturally led, setting the principles of modernism with strong dimension-building lines and striking spatial concepts for interiors for built projects such as his Convention Hall in Chicago (1952–54) and also those that were never realised, such as Museum For a Small City (1941–43) and the Georg Schaefer Museum Project, Schweinfurt, Germany (1960–63).
Along with a precise grasp on composition from his architectural training, his artistic aesthetic took influence from the 20th century movements of dada, constructivism, and De Stijl (van der Rohe was both friends with artists and a collector himself).
The exhibition follows a chronological course, yet places his works in historical and artistic contexts, aligning them with contemporaries including Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Höch and László Moholy-Nagy, artists who were lifelong influences to his practice such as Paul Klee and Georges Braque, and practitioners who address his own architectural work, such as Thomas Ruff.
Curated by Andreas Beitin and Holger Otten in collaboration with Museum Georg Schäfer in Schweinfurt, Germany, the exhibition will travel to Schweinfurt next, from 26 February – 28 May 2017.
Interior perspective with view of site of the Georg Schaefer Museum Project, Schweinfurt, 1960–1963, by Mies van der Rohe.
Mies van der Rohe in his apartment, Chicago, 1964.
Interior perspective of Museum for a Small City, 1942–43, by Mies van der Rohe.
Ohne Titel (Cottage), by Kurt Schwitters.
Perspective of living room through the south glass wall of the unbuilt Resor House project (Jackson Hole, Wyoming), 1937–1941, by Mies van der Rohe.
INFORMATION
’Mies van der Rohe: The MoMA Collages’ is on view until 12 February 2017. For more information, visit the Ludwig Forum website
ADDRESS
Ludwig Forum
Jülicher Strasse 97–109
52070 Aachen
-
Vincent Van Duysen launches ‘most modern’ Zara Home collectionThe fourth instalment of architect Vincent Van Duysen’s collaboration with Zara Home introduces a modernist sensibility, with new materials and refined, architectural forms
-
For its US debut, Formafantasma goes back to basicsOn view at Friedman Benda this summer, the show is the result of the Milan-based studio's ongoing fascination with history, technology and domesticity
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Ned Nomad in New YorkThis hotel and social club is a vibrant hub of hospitality that evokes 1920s glamour for members and visitors alike
-
A new book delves into Frei Otto’s obsession with creating ultra-light architecture‘Frei Otto: Building with Nature’ traces the life and work of the German architect and engineer, a pioneer of high-tech design and organic structures
-
A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secretPierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
-
Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architectureA sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gemsArchitecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
Modernist Travel Guide: a handy companion to explore modernism across the globe‘Modernist Travel Guide’, a handy new pocket-sized book for travel lovers and modernist architecture fans, comes courtesy of Wallpaper* contributor Adam Štěch and his passion for modernism
-
Discover architect Ico Parisi’s modernist sanctuaries on the banks of Lake ComoA string of sculptural sanctuaries by architect Ico Parisi on the banks of Lake Como helped cement the area as the heartland of Italian modernism; we explore his work in an article from the Wallpaper* archives
-
What is Bauhaus? The 20th-century movement that defined what modern should look likeWe explore Bauhaus and the 20th century architecture movement's strands, influence and different design expressions; welcome to our ultimate guide in honour of the genre's 100th anniversary this year
-
Ukrainian Modernism: a timely but bittersweet survey of the country’s best modern buildingsNew book ‘Ukrainian Modernism’ captures the country's vanishing modernist architecture, besieged by bombs, big business and the desire for a break with the past
