Carnival artists, acrobats, and clowns by Max Beckmann featured in new exhibition

From the early 1920s the work of Max Beckmann (1884–1950) was characterized by motifs dealing with performers. For Beckmann, the world of vaudeville and fun fair acts, acrobats, clowns, and actors was an expression of a metaphorical concept of human relationships and world events. Max Beckmann: The World as a Stage is the first exhibition to focus on this central theme in the work of the painter, which is highly relevant to us today in light of current media developments. The show brings together 112 loans from museums and private collections in Germany and abroad, including masterpieces which have rarely been displayed in Europe. An extensive program of events with presentations and talks by well-known speakers, themed tours and children’s tours, films, concerts, and activities communicate Beckmann’s idea of the world as a stage and allow visitors to experience it in a challenging and hands-on manner.