Rodin / Arp

For the first time in a museum exhibition-and hence, in this catalogue-the groundbreaking work of a great innovator of late-nineteenth-century sculpture encounters the influential work from a protagonist of twentieth-century abstract sculpture: Auguste Rodin meets Jean Arp. Fondation Beyeler.

Both artists are characterized by their unique artistic innovations and the joy of experimentation; both strongly influenced their eras and have lost nothing of their topicality to this day. As sculptural milestones, the creations of Rodin and Arp illustrate in a vivid and exemplary way fundamental aspects in the development of modern sculpture.

Rodin’s pioneering ideas and new artistic ideas for sculpture were taken up by Arp and fascinatingly developed, reinterpreted, or contrasted. Indeed, both oeuvres exhibit numerous artistic affinities and points of reference, which becomes a particularly revealing visual experience in this clever juxtaposition.