KLEE & CO

The collection of the Kunstmuseum Heidenheim contains some modern classics that – for conservation reasons – cannot be shown permanently. Among them is a watercolour by Paul Klee from 1939 entitled Ein Gefangener wird abführen (A prisoner is being led away). In this work, Klee depicts in graphic abstraction the violence of the National Socialists against dissidents, from which he fled to Switzerland in 1933. The small-format work is the highlight of the Heidenheim Art Museum’s collection with other modern classics such as Horst Antes, Willi Baumeister, Otto Dix, K.-O. Götz and others. One focus of the exhibition is the works of Rolf Nesch, who invented metal embossing and is considered the best-known artist to come from Heidenheim. Using exemplary works, the exhibition provides an overview of the exciting development of Nesch, who emigrated to Norway in 1933 and rose to become the country’s best-known contemporary artist after the Second World War. Nesch was also extremely successful internationally, taking part in the Kassel documenta three times (I -III) and representing Norway at the Venice Biennale in 1962.