Adolf Luther

Seeing is Beautiful

Exhibition of the Adolf Luther Foundation Collection

Sat, May 17, 2025–Sun, Sep 21, 2025

Kaiser Wilhelm Museum

In the years of his artistic career from 1942 to 1990, Adolf Luther was often described as a “master” or “magician of light”. Always in search of light as an artistic medium, he explored different art movements and developed a unique formal language. For the first time, the exhibition Adolf Luther - Seeing is Beautiful is dedicated to the multifaceted development of the Krefeld-born artist and focuses on works from the artist's foundation collection. It sheds light on Luther's detachment from classical painting to object art and his expansion into space. His works made of mirrors and glass transform the viewer into an active co-creator and in this way also expand the way we see things today. The exhibition honors Adolf Luther as an important representative of Op Art and Kinetic Art of the post-war period. Despite his international recognition, the artist remained connected to his hometown of Krefeld and made a significant contribution to the cultural landscape of the region with the establishment of his foundation and the collection of important works of art housed there - a legacy that can be impressively experienced in the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum.

The exhibition Adolf Luther. Seeing Is Beautiful marks the beginning of the Adolf Luther Foundation at the Kunstmuseen Krefeld—a close, long-term partnership between the Kunstmuseen Krefeld and the Adolf Luther Foundation whose purpose is to strengthen Krefeld as a national site for Concrete Art. The cooperation will take the form of joint activities such as exhibitions, public programs, research and conservation projects, and more. After the exhibition, a room in the KWM’s Collection in Motion—its dynamic collection presentation—will be permanently devoted to the Adolf Luther Foundation for changing presentations. Both institutions will benefit through increased visibility, new programs, and innovative approaches to dialogue with the public.

Curated by Dr. Magdalena Broska