The Modern City

The Modern City explores the uniquely modern icons of the urban landscape that provided a source of endless fascination for artists of the early 20th century. Rejecting the pastoral landscapes of the nineteenth century in favor of industrial landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or Times Square, artists in Paris and New York captured not only the atmosphere of these great cities but a sense of modernity and progress as well. This thematic presentation of the permanent collection brings together views of Paris by Robert Delaunay, of New York by Albert Gleizes, and of Berlin by George Grosz.

As a supplement to the exhibition The Modern City, a series of films representing the most significant creations of avant-garde artists, film-makers and scenographers of the first half of the twentieth century will also be presented. Films by artists such as Louis Feuillade, Man Ray, Fernand Léger, and René Clair show images of Paris in the 1920s. The film by Walter Ruttman, Berlin: Symphony of a City, with the German capital as the only main character, represents an invitation to spend a complete day in Berlin. The city of New York is shown through the lens of artists such as Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand, Ralph Steiner, and Willard Van Dike, who document the city at different moments in time.