Creating Space: The Constructivist Marlow Moss

In 2026, the Georg Kolbe Museum will present a significant exhibition of sculptures by the constructivist Marlow Moss (1889–1958). It is the first major showing of this groundbreaking artist in Germany— bringing a key figure of abstract art into the spotlight. As one of the few women active and recognized in avant-garde circles, and as a member of the Paris-based artists’ association Abstraction-Création, Moss developed a distinctive formal language bridging painting and sculpture. Through her rigorously rhythmic compositions, geometric reliefs, and innovative use of the double line in Constructivist painting and sculpture, she sought a universal order of colour, line and space. For a long time, her practice remained in the shadows of art history — not least because of persecution, exile, the loss of many works, and her queer identity. The Georg Kolbe Museum presents it in an exhibition, bringing together for the first time the remaining sculptures by Marlow Moss. The show is complemented by paintings, drawings, photographs, films, and archival material that together convey an impressive picture of Moss’ artistic vision and eventful life. The outstanding contemporary artists Leonor Antunes (b. 1972), Tacita Dean (b. 1965), Florette Dijkstra (b. 1963) and Ro Robertson (b. 1984) contribute their own artistic perspectives to the exhibition, opening up different connections to Moss. The vibrant dialogue between the artworks creates a compelling encounter between past and present. The exhibition brings together loans from major museums and archives in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, the USA and Germany, as well as from numerous private collections. The project is curated by Dr Lucy Howarth and Dr Elisa Tamaschke. A bilingual catalogue (German/English) will be published by Hirmer Verlag. The opening will take place on 1 April 2026 from 6 p.m. onwards.