Andy Warhol (*1928 in Pittsburgh, † 1987 in New York) is indisputably regarded as the best-known exponent of Pop Art. His iconic motifs such as Marilyn Monroe, Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles are part of our collective memory. Thirty years after his last retrospective in Cologne, the exhibition presents Andy Warhol as an artist whose innovative creations are worth rediscovering, especially by a young generation in this age of migration and social diversity.
This major exhibition at the Museum Ludwig examines Warhol’s extensive artistic production against the background of urgent social issues. The exhibition presents famous key works such as the Elvis Presley series and the colour variations on an electric chair, as well as lesser-known aspects of Warhol’s work that offer a contemporary insight into this major artist during a time of political and cultural upheavals. For example, the exhibition explores the influence of Warhol’s immigrant background — he was the son of Russian parents and grew up in Pittsburgh — on aspects of his work, such as his complex treatment of religious themes and motifs.
