To mark its 50th anniversary, the Museum Ludwig is presenting a major, interdisciplinary survey exhibition that explores the art of the international Black diaspora in relation to European modernism.
In art, modernism signifies a radical break with the past and an entirely new visual language that spread to all areas of culture and life during the period of upheaval at the beginning of the 20th century. Our view of modernism is still largely shaped by white, Western European, and North American art. But how did artists from the Black diaspora engage with modernism, develop it further, or consciously distance themselves from it?
In European museums, Black artists are often underrepresented or not represented at all. This underrepresentation points to deeply rooted colonial and social power structures, the effects of which extend into the present day. Against this backdrop, the exhibition explores how Black artists have used their works to create new narratives that challenge colonial and Eurocentric ways of seeing. Drawing on movements such as the Harlem Renaissance in the U.S. and the Négritude movement in Europe, the exhibition traces the relationships between the continents and examines their impact on contemporary art production. This major, interdisciplinary survey exhibition brings together a wide range of international loans and, in some cases, places them in dialogue with works from the museum’s collection. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs play just as significant a role as the literature and music of the Black diaspora.
With this exhibition, the Museum Ludwig reaffirms its founding mission in its anniversary year of 2026: to give visibility to voices that have been overlooked for too long.
Curator: Eboa Itondo
