Living Modern: German and Austrian Art and Design, 1890-1933

June 7 – September 16, 2007

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Modernism was not only an innovative aesthetic recognized by its crisp forms and progressive use of materials, but it was also a way of thinking about contemporary life. Amid a backdrop of industrialization, urbanization, world war, and reconstruction, many progressive German and Austrian artists and designers dreamed of a better world. Several common themes and aspirations emerged from this Utopian vision, but forms and subjects varied remarkably. While some artists and designers appealed to traditional forms of representation and modes of production, others emphasized innovative expressions and technologies. This exhibition looked at the “Modernisms” that together contributed to the richness of life in Germany and Austria during a remarkable period of cultural redefinition, social transformation, and political reorganization. More than one hundred paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and household designs from the Smart Museum’s collection represented several major artistic and design movements of the period: the Symbolism and Jugendstil aesthetics of the 1890s; the Expressionist tendencies before World War I; and the Constructivist and Bauhaus designs of the turbulent 1920s.

Curator: Richard A. Born, Smart Museum Senior Curator.

The exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the Feitler Family Fund, and was presented in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Austrian Consulate General in Chicago.

Presented in the Richard and Mary L. Gray Gallery for Special Exhibitions.

Above: Marianne Brandt, Tea Service: Tea Infuser (Pot), Creamer, Sugar Bowl, and Tray, 1924 (design, manufactured between 1924 and 1929), hammered sterling silver and ebony. Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Anonymous Gift in memory of Liesl Landau, 2006.19.
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