Extreme Tension.Art between Politics and Society 1945–2000. Collection of the Nationalgalerie

MODERN, POSTMODERN, AND CONTEMPORARY ART AT THE NATIONALGALERIE
Few eras have been so strongly defined by division, fragmentation, and renewal as the period following the Second World War. With this new presentation of its collection, the Nationalgalerie Berlin looks at how the conflicting forces, which pervaded politics and society and were marked by enormous social upheavals, also shaped the art of their time.
This richly illustrated catalogue presents the museum’s internationally renowned collection of works from the latter half of the 20th century, providing an overview of the diverse artistic approaches of this era. It highlights key movements such as informalism and abstract expressionism, American colour field painting, 1970s realism, action art, pop art, minimal art, conceptual art, and performance as well as video art.

A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF ARTISTIC MOVEMENTS SINCE 1945
At the Neue Nationalgalerie, an architectural icon of modernism designed by Mies van der Rohe, the collection of the Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin is presenting a selection of works that span the post-war period up until the turn of the millennium. This book documents the artworks on view, including paintings, objects, photographs, and video art from the Federal Republic of Germany, the former German Democratic Republic, Western Europe, the United States, and artistic developments in former socialist countries. It features works by artists such as Marina Abramović, Candice Breitz, Francis Bacon, Lee Bontecou, Günter Brus, Tracey Emin, Valie Export, Rebecca Horn, Joan Jonas, Donald Judd, Barbara Kruger, Wolfgang Mattheuer, Louise Nevelson, A. R. Penck, Bridget Riley, Pipilotti Rist, Willi Sitte, Carole Schneemann, and Andy Warhol.

A TOUR OF THE EXHIBITION
Structured along the themes of the exhibition, this publication traces the fundamental reorientation of art that took place after 1945 and continues to shape it today. Introductory texts explore the cultural, historical, political, and artistic contexts of the works. Providing further insights, more detailed commentaries on a selection of artworks delve into various key aspects. The exhibition catalogue offers a multifaceted introduction to the Nationalgalerie’s collection, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the world of modern and contemporary art to gain a deeper understanding of its nuances and depths.

Edited by Joachim Jäger, Maike Steinkamp, and Marta Smolińska. With a foreword by Klaus Biesenbach.

978-3-86502-515-9 (English edition)
978-3-86502-514-2 (German edition)