March 24 – August 6, 2023

Ernst-Wilhelm Nay (1902- 1968) is one of the most important colour painters of the 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, the artist will be honoured with a comprehensive retrospective. His powerful, dynamic paintings are regarded as a bridge between art before and after the Second World War, between expressionism, abstraction and a free gestural painting after 1945. At the MKM, around 65 paintings present the stages of his multifaceted oeuvre and – starting from his late work – lead backwards chronologically into the different phases of his work in terms of style and content. The presentation is complemented by a biographical and film documentation of Nay’s life and work.

An exhibition of the Hamburger Kunsthalle in cooperation with the Ernst Wilhelm Nay Foundation, the Museum Wiesbaden and the Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, Duisburg. The MKM is the third and final station of the retrospective.