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The painter, sculptor and photographer Gerhard Richter has donated 100 of his works of art to the National Gallery in Berlin. Visitors will have the opportunity to view these works in their entirety for the first time.
The central work of the exhibition is the cycle "Birkenau" from 2014. Consisting of four large-format abstract paintings, the cycle is the result of Richter's long and deep examination of the Holocaust and its representability. The works are based on four photographs from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, which the artist transferred to the four canvases and then gradually painted over. With each layer of paint, the painted photographic template disappeared a little more, until finally it was no longer visible. The work also includes a large, four-part mirror placed opposite the four Birkenau paintings, creating another layer of reflection.
In addition to the Birkenau cycle, the Richter exhibition "100 Works for Berlin" will feature nearly 90 other works by the artist from several creative phases that are also part of the permanent loan, including "Besetztes Haus," "6 Stehende Scheiben," and "4.900 Farben." A large group of works from the impressive group of painted-over photographs will also be on display.
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With "Gerhard Richter. 100 Works for Berlin", the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is showing for the first time 100 works by Gerhard Richter that have been transferred to the Nationalgalerie by the artist's foundation under a long-term loan agreement. more
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© Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Jacopo La Forgia
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