Disegno: The art of drawing for the 21st century

There is no doubt that a drawing, which contains an artist’s initial creative sparks, can tantalise and shine a light on the artist’s “prima idea”. It is these brainwaves that often lead people to characterise drawing as witty, direct or emotionally charged. After all, drawing is privileged in that it can record artistic caprice on a sheet of paper, comprising anything from fleeting inspirations and concrete ideas to fantastic visions.

Historically, the high regard for drawing has been expressed using the neologism “disegno”. Originating from the Italian Renaissance, this word has been linked with a theory of a mentally creative concept that combines the image in the artist’s head with the idea of the mastery of the artistic hand. It was used in academic discourse to highlight the precedence of drawing within the visual arts.

The exhibition “DISEGNO. The art of drawing for the 21st century” gives this idea new life. Its premise is the relevance of drawing as something that drives contemporary art. Prominent movements of modern art that are still waiting to be discovered are presented alongside contemporary works by individual artists that have been created especially for the exhibition. The combination of radical drawing concepts and the resulting works of art give visitors an insight into the current dialogue between drawing and other arts. A new aspect that will be revealed is that this kind of exchange has long been fostered outside Europe in the fields of art, film, photography, literature, philosophy, dance and, last but not least, advertising graphics.