The early decades of the twentieth century marked a decisive break in the history of art, as painters and sculptors across Europe and the Americas challenged traditional approaches to realistic representation. Embracing expressive freedom and seeking independence from established institutions, these artists turned their focus to new social realities and the potential of purely abstract art.

In the decades that followed, artists have continued to experiment with abstraction, scale, and material, while also exploring the figure and the nature of reality. These shifts have opened new ways to question the role of art in the world, create space for personal reflection and shared experience, and engage with the complexities of life. Bringing together artists from Europe, the United States, and Latin America, the works on view here highlight the ongoing exchange of ideas, influences, and cultures across borders.

Ulrike Arnold: Skyfall is on view as a solo presentation of work within the Modern and Contemporary galleries August 29, 2026–January 24, 2027.

Ulrike Arnold (German, b. 1950) paints with earth, sand, stone, and meteorite dust—materials gathered in remote places around the world. Using these varied hues, she approaches matter as alive, a bearer of history and transformation. Her paintings reflect the geology of the sites where she collects these minerals, while their ancient origins also reference the beginnings of the universe. Created outdoors, the works register the forces of wind, light, and time, embedding these conditions within the surface of the canvas. As Arnold notes of her process, “I want to understand, to feel and to have compassion with the place, then I can transform these feelings into authentic forms.”

Part of Sigmar Polke: Athanor NOW, a project by the Anna Polke Foundation.

Featured at top right: René Magritte, The Shadows, 1966. Oil on canvas. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norton S. Walbridge, 1976.205.