The Engadin mountain region has long been a refuge for creative minds like Beuys, Giacometti, Nietzsche and Hesse, who spent their summers and winters in the mountains seeking both solace and inspiration. Gerhard Richter was one of them and after his first Engadin visit in 1989 he continuously returned for the next 25 years, each time creating new work. Curated by Dieter Schwarz, over 70 of these Richter creations are being showcased across three venues in the ongoing exhibition “Gerhard Richter: Engadin”, hosted by Hauser & Wirth Gallery, the Segantini Museum and the Nietzsche Haus in Sils.
Three spaces, each with their own spin on Richter’s work. Navigating this triple venue exhibition requires strategic planning, given the diversity of spaces and distances between them. We embark on our journey at the serene Hauser & Wirth Gallery, enveloped in silence, the gallery’s curtains drawn, surrounded by Richter's blend of photography and painting, blurring the lines of perception.
Our next stop is Sils Maria, a 40 minute bus ride providing a scenic interlude through the very landscapes that captivated Richter’s attention. The modest Nietzsche Haus looks exactly like it does in the photos shown at the gallery. After the full oeuvre at Hauser & Wirth the exhibition is a bit underwhelming, containing only a single vitrine of Richter’s photographs. However the location and connection to another creative mind make up for it.
The last stop on the tour de Richter is the Segantini museum, a museum dedicated to another great artist who fell in love with the mountains. Richter’s works feel at home here and create a beautiful dance between Segatini’s play with light and Richter’s blurs between photography and painting. The culmination happens in the “Kuppelsaal '' the dome that holds Segantini’s triptychs where Richter’s third silver ball reflects the artistic legacy. This is the moment we realize there was a silver ball in each of the locations, tying them all together wonderfully.
“Gerhard Richter: Engadin” is a wonderful exhibition, carefully curated so the viewers can immerse themselves in the landscapes that inspired Richter’s creativity. While visiting all venues in a single day proves impractical, savoring each over a long weekend allows for a deep appreciation of the art as well as the landscapes that inspired Richter, the generations before him as well as those to come.
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