Exhibition Recommendation: "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" – Traveling Exhibition: Wiesbaden, Bremen, Munich, and Ascona
Iris Berben assumes the role of patron in Germany for the exhibition project "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" (The Women of the Blue Rider) – 12 female pioneers of Modernism
October 23 – February 21, 2026 at Museum Wiesbaden... the exhibition will tour four museums through 2028... Twelve well-known and rediscovered female pioneers of Modernism and their pan-European network take center stage in the international premiere "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" (ENGLISH, FRANÇAIS, DEUTSCH, ITALIANO)
Munich – Wiesbaden – Bremen – Ascona. An art-historically significant exhibition project—organized by Museum Wiesbaden, the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum (Bremen), the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau München, and the Fondazione Marianne Werefkin (Ascona)—tells the story of the "Blue Rider" (Der Blaue Reiter) consistently from the perspective of its female artists for the first time. Twelve well-known and rediscovered female pioneers of Modernism and their pan-European network take center stage in the international premiere "Die Blauen Reiterinnen." Actress Iris Berben is assuming the patronage for the three German exhibition venues. The tour schedule for "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" begins with Museum Wiesbaden (October 23, 2026, to February 21, 2027). Subsequent venues include the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum in Bremen (March 13 to August 29, 2027) and the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau Munich (October 12, 2027 – April 23, 2028), before the tour concludes in Ascona in the summer of 2028.
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| Königsplatz in Munich – home to the Lenbachhaus (including the Kunstbau located in the subway mezzanine), the Propylaea, the Glyptothek, the State Collections of Antiquities, and the press photo archive: Helga Waess |
Iris Berben on the exhibition project "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" (The Women of the Blue Rider)
"I know exactly what it means for a young female artist to navigate a male-dominated environment and assert herself within it. That is why I did not hesitate for a moment to become the patron of this eye-opening exhibition project. The women of the 'Blue Rider' also had to demonstrate strength to make their mark, yet they subsequently fell into obscurity despite their achievements. For me, it is truly inspiring to finally see what they created in the face of so much resistance."
"Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider)
This term refers to a circle of diverse personalities who made visionary contributions to the fields of painting, aesthetic theory, graphic art, literature, and music. Through the two exhibitions organized in 1911 and 1912 and the almanac published in 1912, the artists of the "Blue Rider" championed the subjectivization of art, the liberation of color from the object, and the concept that artistic forms of expression from different eras, genres, and regions are of equal value.
"Der Blaue Reiter" thus stands as a significant part of the international avant-garde movements that emerged prior to the First World War. Until now, the substantial role played by the individual female artists associated with "Der Blaue Reiter" in the development of modernism—as well as the strategies and networks they employed—has remained almost entirely unexplored.
Marianne von Werefkin, for instance, articulated the programmatic guiding principle:
"The future of art is emotional art." This statement highlights the intellectual and artistic contributions made by these women.
A particular focus of the exhibition project is the networks established by the twelve female artists, which spanned from Moscow and Munich to Paris.
At the heart of the exhibition are the diverse artistic, social, and intellectual connections that facilitated the cross-border circulation of ideas and aesthetic concepts. These interconnections are visualized through a digital application that interactively maps out the artists' paths, encounters, and key life stages.
Biographical highlights offer insight into the artists' individual lives and contextualize their work within the social, artistic, and institutional networks of their time. At the same time, the exhibition demonstrates the versatility, open-mindedness, and visionary nature of "Der Blaue Reiter." Its progressive character was defined by its cross-border internationalism, its multiplicity of voices, and a deliberate plurality of content—a plurality that was significantly shaped and fostered by these female artists.
Venues for the "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" Exhibition
- Museum Wiesbaden (October 23, 2026 – February 21, 2027) marks the start of the exhibition tour.
- Subsequent venues include the Paula Modersohn-Becker-Museum in Bremen (March 13 – August 29, 2027)
- and the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau Munich (October 12, 2027 – April 23, 2028),
- before the tour concludes in Ascona in the summer of 2028.
Iris Berben is the exhibition's patron.
Biography: Iris Berben
Iris Berben is one of Germany's most renowned actresses. She has been working in film and television since the 1960s, captivating generations of viewers with her performances. She has received numerous prestigious awards for her acting achievements and is also successful as a literary reader and audiobook narrator.
Alongside her artistic career, Iris Berben has been actively committed for decades to combating antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia, while championing democracy, tolerance, and social cohesion.
As the long-standing President of the German Film Academy (2010–2019), she also vigorously championed the interests of filmmakers and the strengthening of Germany’s film and cultural landscape.
To this day, she continues to speak out for artistic freedom and the importance of culture to democracy. She has received numerous awards and honors for her long-standing commitment to society and cultural policy, and is considered a defining figure in German cultural life.
Exhibition Venues
October 23, 2026 – February 21, 2027
Museum Wiesbaden, Hessian State Museum for Art and Culture
March 13 – August 29, 2027
Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum, Bremen
October 12, 2027 – April 24, 2028
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau, Munich
Luisenstraße 33
80333 Munich
Admission Prices
Regular €10
Reduced €6
Free admission for those under 18
Opening Hours
Tue–Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Thu 10 am – 8 pm
From June 2028
Museo Comunale Ascona
Exhibition Supporters and Sponsors
The exhibition project "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" (The Women of the Blue Rider) is funded by the Cultural Foundation of the German Federal States (Kulturstiftung der Länder).
The accompanying catalogue
Published by Hirmer Verlag in separate German, English, and Italian editions.
- The catalogue is funded by the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation.
The exhibition at Museum Wiesbaden
- is supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain
- and the Friends of Museum Wiesbaden (Freunde des Museums Wiesbaden e.V.).
Media partners are
- ARTE,
- hr2 Kultur,
- the *Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung*,
- and *Sensor*.
The exhibition at the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum in Bremen, marking the museum's centenary,
- is funded by the Karin and Uwe Hollweg Foundation
- and Sparkasse Bremen.
The exhibition "Die Blauen Reiterinnen" at the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau Munich
- takes place as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Gabriele Münter’s birth.
- At the same time, UNESCO is designating 2027 as a commemorative year in honor of the artist Gabriele Münter.
- The exhibition is a collaboration between the Lenbachhaus and the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation.
- With generous support from the Friends of the Lenbachhaus (Förderverein Lenbachhaus e.V.)
Media partner: ARTE
The exhibition in Ascona
is funded by Swisslos.
SOURCE:
- Press release from the Lenbachhaus in Munich, dated July 9, 2026.
