Installation view of Storm of Progress: German Art After 1800 from the Saint Louis Art Museum
Storm of Progress: German Art After 1800 from the Saint Louis Art Museum
November 8, 2020–February 28, 2021- Location
- Main Exhibition Galleries, East Building
- Cost
- Free
This exhibition occurred in the past. The archival exhibition summary below describes the exhibition as it was conceived while on view.
Storm of Progress: German Art After 1800 from the Saint Louis Art Museum presents the Museum’s world-class collection of German art of the last 200 years. From Romanticism in the 1800s to the eclectic globalism that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, this exhibition highlights how art, politics, and history are inextricably linked.
For centuries, the concept of the storm has provided German artists with a powerful metaphor for forces of nature, destruction, and the hope of rebirth. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Germany’s upheavals found expression in its art as political and cultural conventions underwent radical change, paving the way for both tyrannies and revolutions.
The exhibition brings together 120 works in chronological and thematic sections that explore key ideas and events from German art and history spanning national unification, industrialization, World Wars I and II, the Holocaust, and the Cold War and its aftermath. Art in a wide range of media, from paintings to decorative arts, shows the richness of the Museum’s collection, and many works will be on view for the first time.
Storm of Progress is cocurated by Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art; Hannah Klemm, associate curator of modern and contemporary art; Melissa Venator, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow for Modern Art; and Molly Moog, research assistant for modern and contemporary art.
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Virtual Visit through Storm of Progress
Storm of Progress curators explain the theme of each gallery in this 15-minute video tour, sharing interesting facts about the historical times that became the framework for exhibition. Insights into key works of art in each gallery put those themes into clear focus.
Audio Guide
Enjoy the Museum’s new, enhanced virtual audio guide at home or during an in-gallery visit to Storm of Progress; each of the 16 tracks are one to three minutes in length and can be selected randomly.
Accessibility
The Saint Louis Art Museum is committed to being accessible and welcoming to all visitors. Learn More.
Large Print Labels
Large print labels for Storm of Progress are available online and upon request at the Special Exhibition desk in Taylor Hall.
Audio Guide Transcript
A transcript of the audio guide for the exhibition are available online and upon request at the Special Exhibition desk in Taylor Hall.
Storm of Progress Virtual Programs
Creating a major art exhibition can take years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Museum staff had mere months to produce Storm of Progress curators Simon Kelly and Hannah Klemm speak about the process of exhibition planning, how the pandemic disrupted that plan, and the opportunities that it ultimately presented.
What is German Expressionism? Melissa Venator, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow for Modern Art, explores its intriguing artists, international roots, and enduring legacy through the lens of paintings currently on view in Storm of Progress and in the permanent collection galleries.
SPONSORS
The exhibition is organized by the Saint Louis Art Museum. Support is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
