Artists

Maximiliane Baumgartner

Press release

Upcoming Exhibition Proxy – Der Bürger als PflanzeMaximiliane Baumgartner May 23 to August 23, 2026 Opening: Friday, May 22, 2026, 6–10 pmArtistic commentary in public space: 20.6.–23.8.2026Nordpark Entrance, Kaiserwerther Straße / Edith-Stein-Weg, 40474 DüsseldorfThe solo exhibition by artist Maximiliane Baumgartner (b. 1986) comprises several chapters which include both earlier and newly produced works. The exhibition takes as its point of departure Düsseldorf's Nordpark, created in 1937 for the so-called "Reichsausstellung Schaffendes Volk" – a Nazi propaganda exhibition. Yet the park has scarcely been subject to critical scrutiny to date. In this project, Baumgartner builds on her long-standing engagement with spatial contexts and their social, political, and historical implications against the backdrop of post-Nazi structures. Her work approaches these layers through a critical reflection on images and structures of power, treating them as fields of negotiation in the present. In this way, different timelines, public places, and the boundaries of art intersect to draw attention to gaps in canonical narratives and to create counter-images. At the center of this is the medium of painting considered as an activating means of engagement and documentary processing.Maximiliane Baumgartner was invited by Kathrin Bentele. The exhibition is curated by Clara Maria Blasius.The exhibition is supported by the Karin und Uwe Hollweg Stiftung, the Kulturamt der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf, the Kunst- und Kulturstiftung der Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, and the Galerie Max Mayer, Berlin. The Kunstverein is supported by Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf and de Haen-Carstanjen & Söhne. Stadtwerke Düsseldorf is permanent partner of the Kunstverein. Image: Nordpark Düsseldorf, 1957. Stadtarchiv Düsseldorf, Dolf Siebert.