Exhibition Review: Kosmos Blaue Reiter
Kosmos Blauer Reiter: From Kandinsky to Campendonk
From March 1 to June 15, 2025, Berlin’s Kupferstichkabinett showcased Der Blaue Reiter artists in an intimate exhibition of 95 Expressionist works, displayed across seven themed sections in an homage to early 20th-century art.
The Inner Cosmos: Kandinsky and the Spiritual Potential of Abstract Art
‘Die Welt klingt. Sie ist ein Kosmos der geistig wirkenden Wesen’ - Wassily Kandinsky
The world chimes. It is a cosmos of spiritually active beings
Earth, our complex, chiming cosmos, teems with unbounded spiritual and creative potential. Wassily Kandinsky saw this potential harboured in humanity. The pioneering Russian painter and art theorist marvelled at our universe and viewed human beings as a significant, collective force, wholly united in the shared mission of spirituality, mainly achieved through artistic expression.
For Kandinsky, abstract art was not merely a style which challenged traditional fine art practices; it was a means to reveal the deep, non-material truth of the world. By transcending the limitations of reality, abstraction offered a new, direct visual language. In fact, Kandinsky’s theories on a spiritual epoch induced by abstract art are highlighted in his seminal 1912 treatise, Über das Geistige den Kunst (Concerning the Spiritual in Art). Complete with eleven woodcuts, this work championed abstraction as the spark needed to ignite a spiritual awakening. A key quotation from the text is crucial to understanding this philosophy:
‘Das Geistige eines Kunstwerkes besteht nicht darin, über was es spricht, sondern zu wem es spricht’
The spirituality of a work of art lies not in what it speaks about but in whom it speaks
This suggests a profound shift in how we interpret art, moving the focus away from the visible subject matter, toward the viewer’s individual connection to the work. In line with non-objectivity in the early 20th Century, which sought to disregard external reality through bold block colours, geometric forms and linear compositions, art became a new, entirely personal form of communication. And to communicate something meaningful, art must function not as a monologue, but as a dialogue. In essence, abstract art became a new language spoken to mankind.
This poses the question, how can inanimate and essentially 'spiritless' art (spiritless in the sense the artwork is not living) truly communicate and induce such emotional capacity in humans? In a similar vein, is the absence of a discernible subject or message in abstract art precisely what makes it the deepest or most profound artistic form? In Über das Geistige den Kunst, Kandinsky reiterates that true art transcends its visible content, which is often indiscernible and far-removed from reality, and instead speaks a new truth, unique to each and every viewer. Therefore, abstract art is not only a new language, but a true measure of finding spiritual and creative potential. Art becomes a mirror of one's inner life.
Arguably, those who can create and engage with such art are in tune with their spiritual selves. And those who created and engaged with such art are the pioneering figures of Der Blaue Reiter, who stood the forefront of the German Expressionism.
With this philosophy in mind, I approached the exhibition space at the Kupferstichkabinett at the Kulturforum Berlin as a small universe, temporarily transformed into what Kandinsky’s group, Der Blaue Reiter, might have called a 'Kosmos der geistig wirkenden Wesen’. Upon entering the exhibition space, that compelling first quotation was displayed on the wall and immediately established the spiritual tone of the entire exhibition.
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| Colour Woodcut by Kandinsky 1908/1909 |
Kosmos Blaue Reiter Exhibition
From 1st March until 15th June, 2025, the Kupferstichkabinett at the Kulturforum Berlin exhibited a fascinating collection of artworks by artists of the Der Blaue Reiter. Ninety-five works by inner-circle figures and other pioneers of the European Expressionist movement were exhibited in seven sub-sections of the Kupferstichkabinett, bringing the early 20th-century artistic cosmos to life. The exhibition was curated by Andreas Schalhorn, head curator of modern art at the Kupferstichkabinett, and was accompanied by a catalogue published by Deutscher Kunstverlag Berlin. I had the privilege of visiting Kosmos Blauer Reiter on 6th May, 2025 and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Founded in Munich in 1911 by Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky, Der Blaue Reiter was a group of spiritually and artistically active individuals who paved the way for a new era in European art history. This era being the German Expressionism. Characterised by a vibrant colour palette, dynamic forms and abstract brushstrokes, the Expressionist movement strayed away from the rigid boundaries of realism and focused on the spiritual experience of art.
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| Inside the Kupferstichkabinett |
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Navigating the Kosmos: Spatial Design and Flow
The exhibition space was a small and intimate rectangular room, dimly lit and devoid of natural light. Admittedly, the choice of light grey walls created a distracting clash with the framed artworks, which were mounted on cream card backings and dark frames. For the wall, a deeper, moodier colour, perhaps a navy or dark brown, would have better suited the intimate scale and amplified the room’s contemplative atmosphere. Three little coves- or structural alcoves- divided the large rectangular room into neatly organised sections, creating a path that allowed visitors to seamlessly weave in and out of each section. This structural choice was highly effective, ensuring the corners never felt too crowded and promoting an easy flow of the space (a fact perhaps aided by my Tuesday morning visit).
This deliberate layout was a key strength; it provided a structured journey while simultaneously allowing viewers to easily return to the previous sections for comparison and reflection. The central structure, which included a small bench, served as a great point for contemplation, enabling visitors to turn inwardly whilst outwardly viewing the surrounding works.
The exhibition flow was clearly designed to move the viewer from left to right, establishing a structured journey through the cosmos. The initial left-hand area began with an introductory placard and a timeline of key dates, providing visitors with a necessary visual introduction.
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| Franz Marc, Antilope/Antelope,1913, Watercolour over brush and ink |
The outer walls were neatly lined with a diverse collection of mediums, including woodcuts, lithographs, paintings and prints, which formed an in-depth overview and focus of Der Blaue Reiter’s core members. The grouping of works by artist offered a highly understandable and personal overview of each figure, following a clear progression: Kandinsky, followed by Franz Marc, then August Macke (who was featured in a small, distinct boxed-off area), and concluding with Jawlensky (whose three works were placed near the right side of the entrance).
I also found the selection of lesser-known pieces particularly compelling, featuring works I had never encountered before: small-scale prints, pencil drawings from sketchbooks, and personal letters. Particularly, the middle section elicited this personal feel as it featured a pictorial correspondence between the poet Else Lasker-Schüler and the artist Franz Marc, which not only signifies their friendly relations, but also underscores the interdisciplinary nature of the artistic movement.
As well as this, the centre of the room served as a vital transition point, expanding the exhibition’s scope to include a broader range of artists and media in a broader context. Among these were the delicate watercolours by August Macke and illustrations by Gabriele Münter, Oskar Kokoschka and Heinrich Campendonk, originally published in the influential Berlin magazine, Der Sturm, by Herwarth Walden.
Die Blaue Reiterin
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| Neuererscheinungen hrsg. by Daniela Comani, 2019 |
A particularly interesting, though very small, section of the exhibition presents Daniela Comani’s project, Neuererscheinungen hrsg. The Berlin-based artist uses the technique of archival pigment print on photo rag paper to create a series of manipulated book covers. Comani satirically inverts the original gender of the titles and protagonists of six renowned books by male authors, effectively shifting the narrative in favour of the female. By simply altering a few letters, she transforms classics, such as Le Beau et La Bête (from La Belle et La Bête). Here, the woman becomes the powerful beast (La Bête) as opposed to the desired, beautified object of male fantasy. Other manipulated titles in the series include: Die Untertartin (from Der Untertan), Eine Landärztin (from Ein Landarzt), Monsieur Bovary (from Madame Bovary), Die Erwählte (from Der Erwählte).
Through this concise yet profound act, Comani establishes a new dialogue and challenges our perspective on famous literary narratives and movements. She highlights the potential for female visibility in literary canons that have historically privileged male voices.
The work that draws the most attention is the top-left work: Die Blaue Reiterin. Comani’s cover uses the original, iconic Piper edition of Marc and Kandinsky’s Der Blaue Reiter Almanac. The accompanying wall text, titled ‘Die Blaue Reiterin’, provides the essential context and draws attention to significant female artists associated with the movement, such as Gabriele Münter, Maria Franck-Marc, Elisbeth Macke and Marianne von Werefkin. These women were not merely supporters of their male counterparts; they were vital figures in the development of European Expressionism, producing great artistic work in their own right. In the broader 'cosmos' of Der Blaue Reiter, the wall text includes other acclaimed artists in the European art scene, such as Dutch Jacoba van Heemskerck or Russian Natalia Goncharova.
Female artists are, regrettably, overlooked in art history- their contributions frequently overshadowed by their male colleagues. Through this project, however, Comani reasserts their relevance in the cosmos. Her dual focus- the explicit acknowledgement of this historical absence while simultaneously celebrating women’s vital, often marginalised contributions- was the most thought-provoking part of the entire exhibition.
After visiting this exhibition, I felt an unexpected sense of closeness to the artists of Der Blaue Reiter. Many of the pieces were unfamiliar and new to me, which offered a more intimate glimpse into their creative processes. While the artworks didn't necessarily spark a drastic 'spiritual awakening', they resonated on a quiter, more personal level- inviting reflection rather than revelation. Having studied German Expressionism through school, university, and now into my twenties, I realised how much my shifting perspectives on the world around me continually reshape the way I engage with their art. In that sense, each encounter with this group, at various stages of life, feels like a conversation- an ongoing dialogue between the different, ever-changing versions of myself and their familiar, unchanging artworks. Standing once again before their personal prints and sketches, I found myself in front of a mirror; a reflection of my change within constancy of their expressionistic style, echoing precisely the spiritual depth Kandinsky once envisioned for this movement.
Mieke Lammens
14 October, 2025
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