Artists

Otto Piene, Hede Bühl, Heinz Mack, David Rabinowitch, Therés Lubinetzki

Press release

What is the world – and what is it made of? Is there something that links everything together? The exhibition The Fifth Element: Works from the Kemp Collection is dedicated to the basic building blocks of nature and expands the classical theory of the four elements – earth, fire, water and air – to include an overarching dimension: the fifth element symbolises the unifying and visionary forces at work when grappling with the mysteries of the world. Around 70 works by artists from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries explore this timeless subject and develop it further. Unusual materials, physical processes and experimental techniques in paintings, sculptures, works on paper and expansive installations demonstrate how these elements have found their place in art. Furthermore, thematic references serve as a bridge between natural and human-made worlds. The focus of the show is on the interplay between nature, art and science. The Kemp Collection is one of the most outstanding German private collections of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art. Alongside abstract paintings, works by the ZERO group, sculptures and works on paper, exceptional works of Art Informel and colour field painting form the core of the collection, which was established by Willi Kemp together with his wife Ingrid, who sadly passed away at an early age. In 2011, around 3000 works were donated to the Kunstpalast and Kemp established the Kemp Collection Foundation for the research and mediation of the collection. His donation has significantly enriched the Kunstpalast collection and is regularly presented in exhibitions.

Curator: Therés Lubinetzki, Research Assistant Kemp Collection, Kunstpalast