At a glance
Contemporary masterworks by Gursky and Warhol disrupt the nineteenth-century galleries, forcing a visual tension between the historical collection and the aesthetics of the modern era.
Meet the artist
Why go
This intervention moves beyond chronological walls, placing Pop Art and contemporary photography in direct friction with Romanticism and Neoclassicism to reveal how today's perspective reshapes our reading of the past.
You'll see
Unexpected artistic pairings · Large-scale photography · Pop Art interventions · Sculpture and painting dialogues
Pace of visit
The works are scattered throughout the permanent galleries, requiring a steady walking pace through all three floors of the museum.
Don't miss
The placement of Andreas Gursky's precise photography alongside traditional landscape paintings to challenge how we perceive scale and detail.
Artlovers Tip
Treat the visit as a scavenger hunt through the museum; pay close attention to the labels, as some contemporary additions are intentionally subtle against the nineteenth-century backdrop.
Inside the exhibition
Across Epochs — Gursky, Lucas, Miró, Warhol and the Art of the Long Nineteenth Century brings a series of modern and contemporary interventions to the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany. Instead of a self-contained show, the project embeds works by twentieth-century figures and living artists directly into the museum's historic narrative. It invites a side-by-side comparison of different eras, questioning how the art of the 1800s stands up to the visual language of today.
Visitors encounter a range of media including photography, painting, and sculpture from international names such as Joan Miró and Sarah Lucas. These pieces are strategically placed to echo or contradict the surrounding nineteenth-century masterpieces. The selection spans from the bold colors of Pop Art to the clinical precision of contemporary German photography, creating a scattered trail of visual interruptions across the institution's ornate rooms.
This curatorial experiment breaks the rigid structure of art history, allowing for a more fluid understanding of influence and aesthetic shifts. By stripping away the comfort of a timeline, the exhibition highlights the persistence of certain themes across centuries. It is a specific look at how context changes meaning, making it particularly rewarding for those familiar with the Berlin State Museums' permanent holdings.
Worth travelling for?
A thoughtful intervention for visitors who enjoy seeing historical collections through a contemporary lens, offering a fresh perspective on Berlin's Museum Island.
Experience as an Artlover
The exhibition is included with general admission to the Alte Nationalgalerie; visitors should check the museum's website for current opening hours and ticket availability.
Across Epochs — Gursky, Lucas, Miró, Warhol and the Art of the Long Nineteenth Century
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