MALMO.- On May 15, Moderna Museet Malmö opened two new exhibitions. With this summer’s exhibition in the Turbine Hall, Winds from Jericho, Zvi Goldstein’s unique work is presented for the first time in Sweden. The exhibition The Man with the Blue Face features Moderna Museet’s rich collection while tracing the expressionist quest of early modernism.

ZVI GOLDSTEIN
Winds from Jericho
May 15 – August 29, 2021
Curator: Iris Müller-Westermann

The exhibition Winds from Jericho marks the introduction of Zvi Goldstein’s unique oevre in Sweden, featuring works from the last three decades. Goldstein’s artistic practice shifted focus from the centre of Western culture to its periphery already in the late 1970:s, long before postcolonialism and discussions about centre and periphery became pivotal topics in the international art world.

Zvi Goldstein (b. 1947 in Romania) has lived in Jerusalem since the late 1970s and considers this to be his artistic and intellectual home. His art is rooted in both Western contexts and premodern traditions that he has become acquainted with through his artistic practice which includes extensive travels. Through his personal way of exploring a larger world, Goldstein places contemporary art in a broader context and invites us to a more inclusive and global view of ourselves and of the world around us.

- Zvi Goldstein’s work offer a new aesthetic in the still dominant Western centred contemporary art world and advocates inclusivity and cross-fertilisation, says Iris Müller-Westermann. We are all forced to reinvent ourselves time and again throughout life. An open mind and solidarity with our fellow humans is necessary in order to succeed. In these challenging times, I am very happy to be able to introduce to our audiences an artist whose work is centred around a non-judgmental attitude towards the other. The winds Goldstein is referring to in his art become metaphors for a free movement over country borders which, not least in Africa and the Middle East, were drawn by colonial powers and resulted in wars and still ongoing conflicts.




The exhibition’s title refers to the warm winds that originate in the Sahara – winds that have guided Goldstein on his travels and have for centuries impacted people in northern Africa and the Mediterranean region. Situated in the Jordan Valley, east of Jerusalem, Jericho is one of the world’s oldest settlements. The city was visible from the window of the artist’s studio and represented to him a still unknown world.

THE MAN WITH THE BLUE FACE
On the expressionist quest of early modernism.
May 15, 2021 – January 31, 2022
Curator: Joa Ljungberg

The Man with the Blue Face features the museum’s rich collection and presents seminal artists who contributed to a dynamic regeneration of art, in particular painting, during the first decades of the 20th century. The exhibition includes key works by Edvard Munch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Helene Schjerfbeck, Vera Nilsson, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Tora Vega Holmström and many others.

Focusing on the painterly emancipation of early modernism, this exhibition highlights how artists at the time curiously explored the potential of colour, line and composition to express character traits and emotions, as well as spiritual and musical qualities. Naturalistic depiction had increasingly lost its appeal and relevance. The prospect of being able to artistically explore once’s inner emotions and convey a more personal experience of reality seemed much more enticing.

- This is an exciting period in history, says curator Joa Ljungberg. The growing industrialisation triggered major social transformation, the cities expanded and the relationship between the sexes were being re-negotiated. In addition, the perception of art underwent a radical change. From having earlier been ascribed an educational and identity forming function, it now gained a distinct intrinsic value – l’art pour l’art. Interesting to note is also how colour played a major role in this search for a new art for a new era. When spending some time with the exhibition, The Man with the Blue Face offers a multitude of interesting stories, but also some disturbing thematics to battle with.