Exhibition program 2022

Surrealistic Creatures
Until February 6, 2022

With Surrealistic Creatures, the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR devotes itself to the world of animals and imaginary creatures. You are invited to visit this unusual zoo until February 6, 2022. This bestiary, which dominates the image worlds of Surrealism, has never been dealt with before in an exhibition with such scope and diversity, despite the fact that numerous artists have created their own corresponding private phantoms and hybrid creatures. Sometimes these turned out to be alter egos, such as the bird in the case of Max Ernst, the dog for Dorothea Tanning or the sphinx for Leonor Fini.

Around 140 pieces, which include paintings, sculptures, works on paper, illustrated books and magazines as well as films are being shown together with literary texts. This spans an arc from the beginnings of the Surrealist movement in literature and the visual arts of the early 1920s up to the turn of this century, demonstrating the breadth of variation among the artistic positions.

The exhibition brings together works by 74 international artists, e.g. André Breton, Luis Buñuel, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim, Man Ray and Pablo Picasso.

Karin Kneffel
March 27–August 28, 2022

In cooperation with the artist Karin Kneffel (b. 1957), the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR is presenting an exhibition with around 80 of her works in spring 2022. The presentation brings together paintings and watercolour series from the last 17 years. Kneffel's almost photo-realistic works combine figuration and dream-like alienation in a very unique way: her paintings allow intimate glimpses into living rooms and exhibition spaces, where people and dogs appear in enigmatic settings through reflective surfaces and window glasses. Exclusively for the exhibition in Brühl, the artist will refer to the museum and its namesake Surrealist Max Ernst in her work.

Karin Kneffel became internationally known with her large-sized still lives of fruits, with ambiguous interiors and humorous animal portraits. Born in Marl in 1957, she began studying German philology and philosophy at the University of Münster and the Gesamthochschule Duisburg. Afterwards, she studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with Johannes Brus, Norbert Tadeusz and Gerhard Richter, who appointed her a master student. After a professorship at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, she has been teaching at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich since 2008. Karin Kneffel lives and works in Düsseldorf.

Max Ernst Grant
Annual international grant for art students and exhibition
April 4–17, 2022

The Max Ernst Grant is awarded annually in April in honour of the Surrealist and Dadaist Max Ernst, who was born in Brühl (near Cologne), Germany, in 1891. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and is accompanied by an exhibition of the award winner at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR. The grant was initiated by Max Ernst himself in 1971. Today, it still aims to support young German and international art students up to the age of 35. The grant is funded in equal parts by the City of Brühl and the Max Ernst Gesellschaft e.V., who both support the museum and its activities.
In April 2022, the 52nd Max Ernst Grant will be awarded and the winner will be honoured with a two-week exhibition at the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR.

Further information on the Max Ernst Grant and the application requirements can be found here.