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Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting

7. December 2024 to 
16. March 2025

Lise Gujer, Peasant Couple, after 1952, based on a working template by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner for the tapestry Life, Brücke-Museum, Karl und Emy Schmidt-Rottluff Stiftung © estate Lise Gujer

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Carpet artwork, a flower meadow with different flowers, mountains in the background

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Flower Tapestry, 1938, working template for tapestry, Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur

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Carpet artwork, a dancer with a flowing skirt

Lise Gujer, Dancer, 1933, based on a design by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, private collection Zürich © Estate Lise Gujer

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Carpet artwork, a shepherd looks at three goats

Lise Gujer, The Shepherd, after 1952 based on a design by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Estate of Eberhard W. Kornfeld © Estate of Lise Gujer

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Teppich Kunstwerk, eine bunte Blumenwiese mit unterschiedlcihen Blumen, im Hintergrund Berge

Lise Gujer, Flower Carpet, new version after 1952, after a design by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur © Estate of Lise Gujer

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Lise Gujer, Black Spring, after 1954-65, after a painting by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Brücke-Museum, Karl and Emy Schmidt-Rottluff Stiftung © estate Lise Gujer

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In the summer of 1922, Lise Gujer (1893-1967) met the Brücke artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in the Swiss climatic health resort of Davos. Shortly after meeting him, she began to produce large-format tapestries based on his designs, which inspired Kirchner as a ‘new way of painting’. The colourful and artistically complex textiles depict the Swiss mountains with their animals and people. Some carpets are also dedicated to the theme of dance. The close collaboration between Gujer and Kirchner continued until Kirchner’s suicide in June 1938. More than 10 years later, in the early 1950s, Gujer continued her work on the loom, moving away from Kirchner’s preparatory drawings and creating new variations on previous motifs. The exhibition shows more than twenty of her tapestries as well as numerous preparatory drawings by Kirchner.

 

The aim of this exhibition is to highlight Gujer’s authorship and thus recognise her place in the history of Expressionism.  After more than 20 years, this is the first presentation dedicated to the work of the long-forgotten textile artist.

 

The presentation will be complemented by an educational room in which weaving techniques and materials will be presented. An experimental weaving station by the artists’ group traces invites visitors to join in the collective weaving. Touching and participating are expressly permitted here! The material to be woven can be chosen by the visitors themselves and the loom can be worked on from all sides.

 

The exhibition is accompanied by the publication Lise Gujer. A new way of painting. Edited by Stephan Kunz and Lisa Marei Schmidt, with texts by Inka Gressel, Romina Ebenhöch, Bettina Niekamp and Eberhard W. Kornfeld, Scheidegger & Spiess, 192 pages, 35 Euro.

 

The exhibition and its accompanying publication have been produced in close co-operation with the Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur.

 

Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting is organised under the patronage of Her Excellency Livia Leu, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

 

View of the exhibition room. A colourful tapestry can be seen in the foreground. Further tapestries and designs can be seen in the background.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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View of the exhibition room. In the foreground is Lise Gujer's original wooden loom. Tapestries, designs and a painting can be seen in the background.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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View of the exhibition room. A colourful tapestry can be seen in the foreground on the right. A colourful tapestry and a text on a sheet of paper can also be seen in the background on the left.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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View of the exhibition space. There are chairs in the centre of the room. On the right are colourful paintings and watercolours. In the background is a colourful tapestry mounted on the wall.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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View of the exhibition's mediation room. On the left, a colourful tapestry hangs from the ceiling on two strings. To the right is a weaving station by the artists' collective traces.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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Exhibition view with many colourful tapestries on the walls and a colourful sheet of paper with text on it.

Exhibition view, Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting, Brücke-Museum, Dec 2024 -  - March  2025, Photo: Nick Ash

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Publications

Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting

Catalogue
Edited by: Stephan Kunz and Lisa Marei Schmidt
Texts: Hans Bolliger, Fritz Dürst, Romina Ebenhöch,Inka Gressel, Eberhard W. Kornfeld, Stephan Kunz, Margrit Mattli, Sophia Nava, Bettina Niekamp, Lisa Marei Schmidt

Scheidegger & Spiess
183 pages
colour images
German
ISBN 9 783982 017853
€ 35
On sale at the museum

2020-2025
Lise Gujer. A New Way of Painting

Staff

Lisa Marei Schmidt, Curator

Luna Weis, Assistant Curator

Daniela Bystron, Curator of Outreach

Luisa Fricker, Curatorial Assistant

Ximena Gutiérrez Toro, Curatorial Assistant of Outreach

Julia Born, exhibition design

traces (Kathrin Köster, Daniel Kupferberg, Marei Loellmann, Carolin Seeliger and Lee Stevens), experimental weaving station

Katharina Stark und Isabell Schneider, Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle, adcive and research