Germany, the 1920’s, the exhibition about New Objectivity at Centre Pompidou

Originating from dadaism and expressionism, the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) movement was born after the First World War in Germany. Artists and thinkers from the 1920’s become aware of their political responsibility and their dissenting duty.

These artists choose to “show objects unfiltered and objectively”. Photography, painting, sculpture, architecture, cinema, drawing, engraving… This movement covers all disciplines.

Centre Pompidou offers us to discover this crucial art period between the two wars with the exhibition “Germany / The 1920’s / New Objectivity / August Sander”, running from May 11 to September 5, 2022, and including about 9,000 pieces of work and documents gathered to make this exhibit exceptional and never-before-seen.

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Photographer August Sander is the common thread throughout the display. This artist used to mix documentary photography and artistry. He is especially known for portraits, works that immortalized Germans divided in socio-professional categories. Son of a minor, he takes special care of workers and craftsmen and women, sickness, old age and death.

The tour offers us a double look on the society and German art from the late 1920’s thanks to painting, photography, architecture, design, cinema, drama, literature and music.

Revolving in eight parts, the exhibition shines a light on preoccupations and feelings of German artists and population as Nazism was rising, on the eve of the Second World War. This society painted a century ago still finds echo today, and parallels between the past and present are endless.

To complete the display, Centre Pompidou exhibits historic documents rarely shown enabling to highlight the issue of each chapter of the exhibition.

An incredible dive into an art movement shaken off by revolutions and wars is what Centre Pompidou proposes this summer. How does it sound?