Georg Basilitz demands removal of Nazi era drawings in Munich Museum – ARTnews.com

German artist Georg Basilitz has called for a painting to be removed from the permanent collection of the Munich Museum, claiming it has links to the Nazi regime.

In a letter to Bernard Moaz, director of painting collections in the state of Munich, and Marcus Blum, German art minister, Basilitis criticized the Pinakothek der Moderne for displaying the painting. He described the work as “Nazi propaganda” and said its continued installation in the museum was “shocking”.

Basilitz has called on leaders at the Pinakothek der Moderne to remove the piece titled four elements, from public view. German publication Sueddeutsche Zeitung first mentioned The news of his message.

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Adolf Ziegler’s painting features a group of nude women who are symbols of the natural elements. It is displayed as part of the museum’s state-run exhibition “Mix and Match” along with other works from its permanent collection.

The painting appeared at the 1937 Munich exhibition entitled “Exhibition of Great German Art”. This exhibition was organized by Nazi officials as a counterpoint to the exhibition “Dissolved Art” held the same year, which condemned modernist art as antithetical to the values ​​of the Third Reich. Much of the work on display was by Jewish artists and artists of color.

In 2014, in New York, four elements It was shown at the Neue Galerie.Decadent Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937. In this show, Ziegler’s painting—which hung in Adolf Hitler’s home—was used to exemplify the social realist style put forward by Nazi leaders.

In response to Baselitz’s letter, Moaz and Pinakothek der Moderne, Curator Oliver Cassie, addressed Baselitz’s comments in statement German news agency dpa. Moaz and Kiss said the museum leadership was open to “critical feedback and discussions,” including those dealing with “the context of Nazi art.” They denied Baslitz’s arguments that the painting’s current installation has a “propaganda effect”.

They continued, “The constant hiding of problematic art never leads to critical discourse, it only leads to the perpetuation of taboos.”

In a statement to dpa, Bloom acknowledged that Baslitz’ calls “carry weight” due to his status as an internationally recognized contemporary artist. The arts minister said he had intervened to ask the museum to contact Basilites.

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