Exhibition Works from a hundred years of Expressionism at the Kunstmuseum Bern
From German Expressionism of the early 20th century to expressive post-war art: the Kunstmuseum Bern is showing the entire collection of the Expressionism Foundation, which is associated with the museum, alongside the major Kirchner exhibition.
05.12.2025, 11:00
05.12.2025, 11:01
SDA
The defining feature of Expressionism is the explosions of color that revolutionized art in the early 20th century. The National Socialists then defamed this art as "degenerate". And it once again inspired modernism in the post-war period.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who is currently being honored with a major special exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Bern, was one of the most important representatives of Expressionism. Others included Gabriele Münter, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Heinrich Campendonk and Marianne von Werefkin.
Works by them are in the collection of the Expressionism Foundation, which is on permanent loan to the Kunstmuseum. The high-ranking exhibits were brought together by Hans Rudolf and Silvia Tschumi, who established their foundation in 2007.
Expressive works from 1906 to 1994
The collector couple did not limit themselves to German Expressionism. They brought together a collection of 25 works. The paintings were created between 1906 and 1994 and the collection thus covers a whole century of expressive works.
The collection includes paintings by Swiss Expressionists, including the Basel artists Albert Müller and Hermann Scherer. Both were friends of Kirchner. The collection also extends to post-war art with works by Karl Appel, Sam Francis and Teruko Yokoi.
The Kunstmuseum Bern is now showing the collection in its entirety for the first time. The museum complements the exhibition "Expressionism Foundation. From Gabriele Münter to Sam Francis" with neo-expressionist works by Miriam Cahn and Martin Disler, among others, from the museum's own collection. The exhibition is on display until July 5, 2026.
