Upcoming exhibition

The Language of Color

150 Years of André Evard (1876–1972), Featuring Paul Klee, Willi Baumeister, Max Ackermann, Erich Heckel, and Other Icons of Modernism

October 17, 2026 – April 18, 2027

On the occasion of the 150. Birthday by Swiss artist André Evard, the Kunsthalle Messmer is presenting from October 17, 2026, through April 18, 2027 a major anniversary exhibition. As one of the most significant pioneers of Swiss abstraction, Evard developed his own distinctive visual language—blending figuration and abstraction—as early as the beginning of the 20th century, and is considered one of the most important pioneers of modern art.

The exhibition centers on more than 100 works that are returning to Germany for the first time following their successful world tour at the Powerlong Art Museum in Shanghai (June 12 to September 20, 2026). The exhibition shown there, featuring a total of 172 works, garnered significant international attention and impressively underscored Evard’s growing importance in the international art scene.

Building on this international success, the Kunsthalle Messmer presents André Evard’s four major groups of works: his early works, influenced by Art Nouveau; his classical still lifes; his vibrantly colored landscapes; and his consistent evolution toward an abstract visual language.

The exhibition is complemented by significant works by his contemporaries, including Paul Klee, Georges Braque, Willi Baumeister, Max Ackermann, Erich Heckel, Auguste Herbin, and Sonia Delaunay, as well as other icons of modernism.

Together, the exhibition traces the fascinating beginnings and developments of abstract art in the early 20th century and honors André Evard’s outstanding contribution to European modernism.