Constructing a New World
04.02.2010 - 16.05.2010
Tate Modern , SE1 9TG, London, United Kingdom
Painter, architect and designer, Theo Van Doesburg formed relationships with most influencial artists from the Bauhaus to the Concret art movement. Over 350 works by around 80 artists will be presented in the show alongside van Doesburgs own, highlighting their exchanges, dialogue and in some cases collaboration, in the areas of film, typography, poetry, music, design, stained glass, painting, sculpture, and architecture.Van Doesburg, who worked in disciplines within art, design and text, founded the farreaching movement and magazine De Stijl. This artistic movement of painters, architects and designers sought to build a new society in the aftermath of World War I, advocating an international style of art and design based on a strict geometry of horizontals and verticals.
Van Doesburg travelled extensively in Europe in the 1920s making connections and collaborating with avantgarde contemporaries of the time. This exhibition explores Doesburgs role as promoter of Dutch Neoplasticism, his Dada personality, his efforts to influence the Bauhaus, his links with international Constructivists, and his creation of the group Art Concret.
Including over 350 works (many unseen in the UK before) by key artists as Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi, Laszlo MoholyNagy, Piet Mondrian, Francis Picabia, Gerrit Rietveld, Kurt Schwitters and Sophie Taeuber, the exhibition features van Doesburgs rarely seen Counter Composition paintings and designs for the Cafe Aubette in Strasbourg, furniture such as Rietveld s iconic Red Blue chair, as well as typography, magazines, stained glass, film, music, sculpture and more. |
March 2010
