What are you looking for in an exhibition?
Today I visited the Paul Klee exhibition at Tate Modern. It was something I was looking forward to, as I am quite an admirer of the Bauhaus movement. I left the exhibition, thought, with mixed feelings. And it wasn’t just the fact that I, of course, chose the worst moment to visit (Sunday afternoon!). The exhibition duly reconstructed the life and work of the artist, in chronological order, gathering an impressive number of artworks. The visitor got, thus, a comprehensive idea of what Klee has worked on in the various periods of his life. But, beside that, the exhibition lacked an underlining concept or a focal point, which is a real pity given the large number and the variety of the exhibits.
One thing I was probably expecting is that the curators would put Klee’s works in the context of the artistic movements he belonged to (Der Blaue Reiter and Bauhaus). This could be done, for instance, by complementing his works from a certain period with a selection of works from associated artists. This would help the visitor visualise connections and understand Klee not in a vacuum but in the spirit of his time. But maybe that can be an idea for a future exhibition.
Another angle that would have made the exhibition just that little bit more interesting is showcasing the various techniques the artist used. Klee is known for experimenting with techniques and colours and he is also known for being an inspirational art teacher (have a look at his “Pedagogical Sketchbook”). Then why did I fail to see today at Tate a few (maybe interactive) elements, allowing the visitor to become an artist (or at least one of Klee’s students) for a moment, following some of his colour or technique exercises? Again, a pity, as many of the innovations he introduced in paining were merely visible in his small size paintings and a focus on this aspect of his art would have only done him justice.
I am reading now on Tate’s introductory page for this exhibition that “seeing Paul Klee at Tate Modern is your opportunity to understand Klee’s art as he intended and to appreciate the impact of this fascinating artist”. Unfortunately, I had to go back and do my homework helped by the good old art history books (and the internet) to really appreciate Klee’s impact. All in all, definitely not a bad exhibition, but one that is rather conservative in its layout and concept, if you think that it’s all about an artist who did not shy away from innovating and experimenting with new methods and media.