Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008) is considered one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century and a pioneer of Pop Art and Conceptual Art. He became internationally renowned for his “Combines”, in which he fused everyday materials and printed media with abstract painting. Through these works, he sought to bridge the gap between art and life. The Kunsthalle Krems is presenting the first comprehensive solo exhibition of Rauschenberg’s work in Austria. The retrospective concludes an international series of exhibitions commemorating the artist’s 100th birthday.

The exhibition highlights the interplay between photographic imagery and gestural painting. Beginning in the 1950s, Rauschenberg incorporated photographs from newspapers, magazines, and his own archive, combining them with dynamic painterly and graphic marks. The artist’s characteristic visual language merges art and life. During the same period, he produced his experimental “Transfer Drawings”, created by rubbing moistened newspaper images onto paper.

In the early 1960s, Rauschenberg expanded his visual repertoire with his “Silkscreen Paintings”, featuring iconic motifs such as the Statue of Liberty or John F. Kennedy in gesturally charged, multi-layered compositions. In later series, the materiality of the image support becomes increasingly important: series such as “Borealis” (1988–92), executed on copper, brass, or bronze, as well as the “Night Shade” works (1991), explore the interaction of light, reflection, and painterly intervention. In the 1990s, Rauschenberg turned to digital image processes, developing series such as “Waterworks” and “Anagram”, in which a vibrant, collage-like visual language emerges.

Beyond the visual arts, Rauschenberg pursued performative, theatrical, and interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with figures such as John Cage, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jasper Johns, and Jean Tinguely. Many of his performances were video-documented, including his first choreography, “Pelican” (1963). For the happening “Open Score” (1966), he staged a tennis match in which artist Frank Stella played against professional tennis player Mimi Kanarek. Rauschenberg was also politically active through global initiatives such as “Earth Day” (1970) and the “ROCI” project (1984–91).

Robert Rauschenberg’s works are held in major collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); the Moderna Museet in Stockholm; and the mumok – Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation in Vienna. In 1964, Rauschenberg was awarded the Gold Medal at the Venice Biennale. 

The exhibition at Kunsthalle Krems is presented in collaboration with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York, and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London, Paris, Salzburg, and Seoul.

Curator: Florian Steininger