18 March 2027 — 2 August 2027

Anna-Eva Bergman: The Edge of the Visible

Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987) is one of the best-known women’s names in 20th-century Norwegian art. This retrospective at the Berlinische Galerie, covering the years from 1930 to 1970, is the first major exhibition of her work to be staged in Germany. Featuring some 40 paintings and prints, it traces the development of an artist on a resolute quest to establish her own distinctive style. The show reflects key stages in her work, from early humorous illustrations and drawings with critical social content to the large abstract landscapes that signalled Bergman’s international breakthrough from the late 1950s. Her works were selected for prestigious events such as documenta II in Kassel and the Bienal de São Paulo. Norway’s stark natural settings were the springboard for a gradual turn to non-figurative art; in her later works the emphasis shifts to structure, composition and the effect of light, and the use of metal leaf lends many of her paintings a singular atmospheric quality. Between 1946 and 1952 Bergman channelled experimental energy into an artistic realignment. Berlin also played a role in her life during this period: in 1952 she came to West Berlin to exhibit her latest works, visit the art critic Will Grohmann (1887–1968) and make contact with up-and-coming West German artists. The exhibition is the result of close collaboration with the Fondation Hartung Bergman in Antibes. Following in the footsteps of the Verborgenes Museum, the Berlinische Galerie turns the spotlight on the work of a female artist who has so far been rarely honoured in Germany. The exhibition is held under the patronage of Laila Stenseng, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Germany.

Berlinische Galerie