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Die Neuen Wilden: Neo-Expressionism in Germany

Die Neuen Wilden (The New Wild Ones) was an informal group of young Neo-Expressionist artists active in Germany from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Taking a cue from German Expressionist art of the early 20th century, Neo-Expressionism was bold, raw, brutish, spontaneous, messy, vital, emotional, sensual, antimodern, antiprogressive, and at times nihilistic, denying any meaning in life. Led by the radical German artist Georg Baselitz, Neo-Expressionists challenged Minimalism and conceptual art, which were popular at the time, rejecting the detached objectivity and intellectual pretensions of those movements.

Intentionally male-dominated, Neo-Expressionism promoted the idea of the artist as hero. It also marked a return to the human body as a subject of art and to historical and mythological imagery. Though international in scope, with centers of activity in Italy, France, and the United States, Neo-Expressionism flourished most notably in Germany.

Selected from Mia’s permanent collection, this exhibition highlights more than 30 works on paper by seven leading artists of Die Neuen Wilden.
Relevant research areas: Western Europe, 20th Century, Relief printing
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