Companions of the Modernism. Magda Langenstrass-Uhlig and Ella Bergmann-Michel

The exhibition presents two female pioneers of the avant-garde, both of whom began their artistic careers in Weimar. The artists Ella Bergmann-Michel (1895-1971) and Magda Langenstraß-Uhlig (1888-1965) received their formative education at the Grand Ducal Saxon Art School, and later both enrolled at the Bauhaus for a time.

Influenced by Dadaism, futurism, surrealism and the Bauhaus, Ella Bergmann-Michel established herself as a filmmaker in the 1930s. In addition to her impressive photo collages, she produced five documentary films which explored the social aspects of the “New Frankfurt”.
Magda Langenstraß-Uhlig sketched works at various military hospitals where her husband worked as a doctor during World War I. After the war, she maintained close ties to the Berlin art gallery “Der Sturm” where her works were exhibited alongside Kurt Schwitters’. From 1924 to 1926, the single mother studied at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau. Although her earlier works were mostly expressionistic, she began to focus more intensively on abstract art in the following years.
The promising careers of both artists skidded to a halt in 1932/1933 when their artworks were either banned or vilified as “degenerate”. In later years, they both struggled to rekindle their past success and continue developing their work. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the oeuvres of Ella Bergmann-Michel and Magda Langenstraß-Uhlig were gradually rediscovered and presented to a broader audience.

This exhibition presents approximately 60 works by Ella Bergmann Michel and Magda Langenstraß-Uhlig in various media, including film, photography, painting, graphic arts and collage.