Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch

For the first time, Maria Lassnig (1919 Kappel am Krappfeld - 2014 Vienna) and Edvard Munch (1863 Løten - 1944 Ekely near Oslo) are being shown together in a major exhibition. At first glance, more than half a century separates the Austrian artist and the Norwegian painter - of whom the Kunsthaus owns the largest collection of paintings outside of Norway. And yet there are an astonishing number of parallels between their works and biographies. The thematic juxtaposition makes their work readable in a new way. Both used color not only as a creative means, but also as a strong expressive element for the inner self: for emotions, physical sensations and a relationship to the world.

For Lassnig, as for Munch, painting was more than just an artistic technique - it was a form of self-inquiry. Her works show inner and outer states that have an immediate emotional impact. The subtitle of the exhibition - "Flow of painting = flow of life" - comes from a painting by Maria Lassnig. It sums up what connects the two: the inseparable connection between life and art.

The exhibition comprises around 160 paintings and works on paper and has been created with the generous support of MUNCH in Oslo and the Maria Lassnig Foundation.

An exhibition of the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.