Exhibition

The Cool and the Cold

Painting in the USA and the USSR 1960–1990. Ludwig Collection

24 September 2021 to 9 January 2022

30 years after the demise of the Soviet Union, the Gropius Bau presents The Cool and the Cold: Painting in the USA and the USSR 1960–1990, an extensive group show that brings together works held by the Ludwig Collection from six international museums.

Jury Korolyov, Cosmonauts, 1982

Jury Korolyov, Cosmonauts, 1982

© Photo: Carl Brunn, courtesy: Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst Aachen, loan of the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation

Peter and Irene Ludwig were among the first collectors to acquire art by American and Soviet artists simultaneously. The exhibition establishes a critical juxtaposition of works from both camps in the East-West conflict, examining how artists responded during the Cold War to the political and aesthetic questions of their time and negotiated ideas of individual and social freedom.

The selection features approximately 125 works by over 80 artists, including Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ilya Kabakov, Erik Bulatov, Jo Baer, Lee Lozano, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Viktor Pivovarov, Natalya Nesterova and Ivan Čujkov.

Curated by Benjamin Dodenhoff and Brigitte Franzen

The Cool and the Cold. Painting from the USA and the USSR 1960–1990. Ludwig Collection, Installation view, 24.9.2021–9.1.2022, Gropius Bau

Guided Tours: Booking

Individual guided tours of the exhibition The Cool and the Cold can be booked (for max. 10 participants) at the following times:

Monday to Friday
10:00–11:00
11:00–12:00
15:00–16:00
17:00–18:00

To book, please send an email with the desired date and time to . Please note that the 2G+ rule (2G plus test) applies to guided tours.

Organised in cooperation with the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation

Under the patronage of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas

Partners:  Wall,  ALEXA,  Bouvet,  Yorck Kino,  Dussmann
Media partners:  Tagesspiegel,  Monopol,  Weltkunst,  kunst:art,  Mousse Magazine,  rbbKultur