The outbreak of the first World War on August 1, 1914, marked an abrupt turning point in the lives of the Blue Rider artists. Marc and Macke went to fight and soon lost their lives. The Russians who had been at home in Munich suddenly became “enemy aliens” who were ordered to leave Germany. A terrified Kandinsky wrote to Herwarth Walden:

“It is like I have been jolted from a dream. Deep down I have lived in an era in which these things seemed utterly impossible. Of the sixteen years I have lived in Germany I have sacrificed more than a few entirely to German artistic life. How can I feel foreign here now?”

Kandinsky, Münter, Jawlensky, and Werefkin left for Switzerland on August 3. Kandinsky later continued via the Balkans to Russia. Münter moved on to neutral Sweden in 1915, where she hoped to be reunited with him. Jawlensky and Werefkin remained in Switzerland for the time being.

The changes in their personal circumstances had a profound impact on their creative output. Jawlensky felt that the new situation called for very different colors and forms. The view from his small room in Saint-Prex on Lake Geneva became the point of departure for his “Variations on a Landscape Theme.” Kandinsky did not paint in oil again until 1916, and when he did, he revisited his Munich motifs. During the Revolution he became involved with the organization of Soviet art institutions. Münter’s encounters with colleagues in Sweden who had studied with Matisse led her to develop a more decorative Expressionism; she now also painted portraits to make a living.

The Blue Rider no. 190 / EN: Exile

Aber hier leben? Nein danke: Hoffnung und Flucht

Aber hier leben? Nein danke: Exil und aggressives Gelächter

Aber hier leben? Nein danke: Papier-Geschosse und Widerstand

Aber hier leben? Nein danke: Jazz ist meine Religion, Surrealismus meine Haltung

We've all felt lonely at some point in our lives. And while the future impact of this complex emotion is still being researched, its history can offer interesting insights on our present day. 

Can Loneliness Open the Door to Love?

This podcast features artists discussing works from the exhibition and themes that arise in representations of the Black figure in Western art
Hear perspectives of contemporary artists on how Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux and other sculptors of his time represented and, in many ways, mischaracterized the idea of freedom in their work. Speakers include painter Elizabeth Colomba, photographer Delphine Diallo, and artist, professor, and activist Fabienne Kanor.

Produced for the exhibition "Fictions of Emancipation: Carpeaux Recast."

Learn more about the exhibition here: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/carpeaux-recast

This podcast is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Fictions of Emancipation: Carpeaux Recast Podcast

Hear from two artists and an educator about how they use improvisation to engage with art. Read a transcript of this podcast on MoMA's Magazine: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1201

The Art of Making It Up as You Go

When artist DonChristian Jones started at MoMA as the inaugural Adobe Creative Resident, they created a vision for working with young people to share their stories about what art and community meant to them. In the summer of 2024, DonChristian—through their Residency at MoMA, along with the non-profit they run, Public Assistant—and the Lower Eastside Girls Club collaborated on Frequency Gardens, a summer program and radio show. Over the course of a month, eight teens learned how to record and edit audio, conduct live interviews, and tell their stories through art. Four of the teen participants interviewed DonChristian about their collaborative process and what it was like to hear themselves as part of the exhibition.

DonChristian Jones Frequency Gardens Podcast

Celebrate Earth Day 2025 with stories from a climate scientist and an architect. Together, they'll discuss how design can be a force for positive environmental change.

Designing for Climate Change

Vom 19. Jahrhundert über die weltweit größte Sammlung des Blauen Reiter bis zu zeitgenössischen Kunst – entdeckt unsere einzigartige Sammlung in München!

The Blue Rider no. 190 / EN: Exile

Lenbachhaus

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