Sydney International Art Series: Kandinsky

Explore the life and work of hugely influential 20th Century expressionist Vasily Kandinsky at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Joe Rivers and Alec Jones
Published on June 05, 2023
Updated on November 03, 2023

Overview

Originally presented as Vasily Kandinsky: Around the Circle in New York's iconic Guggenheim Museum, this in-depth retrospective of Vasily Kandinsky — one of the early 20th century's most notable modernists — is coming to the Art Gallery of NSW.

Visitors to Kandinsky get to experience the changing inspirations and themes in his work, tracing his beginnings in Germany, his return to his home country of Russia, and his final settling down in France. As much as his surroundings had a transformational impact on his masterful work, he was also influenced by his decade of teaching at the Bauhaus school.

"Kandinsky was unwavering in his desire to uplift humanity and in his belief in art's capacity to transform self and society," says Sydney exhibition curator Megan Fontanella.

"His story, ultimately one of hope and resilience, continues to resonate a century later. It has been my distinct pleasure to partner with the Art Gallery of New South Wales in bringing Kandinsky's work to new generations in Australia."

Kandinsky is remembered as a pioneer of abstract art and a theorist of his time, which visitors to the exhibition will see in the many paintings, woodcuts and watercolours on display. This comprehensive showcase will explore the legacy of an artist who was as influential as he was experimental.

More than 50 of his works are on display at the AGNSW, including early- and late-career highlights like Blue Mountain (1908–09), Dominant Curve (1936) and Composition 8 (1923).

Tickets to Kandinsky are available for $35 for adults, $32 for concessions,  $30 for members, $18 for kids 12–17 and $88 for a family pass.

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