#x98;The#x9C; Bauhaus in Calcutta an encounter of cosmopolitan avant-gardes ; [in conjunction with the Exhibition The Bauhaus in Calcutta. An Encounter of Cosmopolitan Avant-Gardes, March 27 - June 30, 2013, Bauhaus Dessau

The Bauhaus exhibition in Calcutta in 1922 was a unique experience on the international art scene--a meeting of artistic and intellectual affinities. On a search for renewal after World War I, Western modernism encountered its Indian counterpart, which had emancipated itself from colonial constraints. At the Bauhaus's first international show, works by Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, Johannes Itten, and other Bauhaus artists were presented alongside those of modern Indian artists such as Nandalal Bose, Sunayani Devi, and Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore. This publication gives an account how this unusual encounter came about and presents the exhibition as an exemplary case of art history that dealt with shared visions rather than transmissions from the West to the East. Neu entdeckt: gesellschaftliche Parallelen, kulturelle Verwandtschaften und gemeinsame Visionen der westlichen Nachkriegsmoderne und des postkolonialem Indiens. Die Bauhausausstellung in Kalkutta 1922 war im internationalen Kunstbetrieb ein einmaliges Ereignis ein Aufeinandertreffen künstlerischer wie intellektueller Verwandtschaften. Die westliche Moderne, die nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg auf der Suche nach geistiger und künstlerischer Erneuerung war, traf auf ihr indisches Pendant, das sich von den kolonialen Zwängen kulturell emanzipiert hatte. Werke von Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger und Johannes Itten sowie von weiteren Bauhauskünstlern wurden bei diesem ersten internationalen Auftritt des Bauhauses neben Arbeiten moderner indischer Künstler wie Nandalal Bose, Sunayani Devi sowie Abanindranath und Gaganendranath Tagore präsentiert. Die Publikation zeigt auf, wie es zu dieser außergewöhnlichen Begegnung kam und stellt die damalige Ausstellung als exemplarischen Fall für eine Kunstgeschichte vor, die, statt über westöstliche Transmissionen zu berichten, über gemeinsame Visionen schreibt. Ausstellung: Bauhaus Dessau 27.3. 30.6.2013 In December 1922, the 14th Annual Exhibition of the lndian Society of Oriental Art was held in Calcutta. Drawing a huge crowd from Calcuttas lively cultural milieu and its high society, the exhibition was divided into two contemporary art from the Bengal school-- Nandalal Bose, Sunayani Devi, and Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore--on one wall; and on the other, a display of watercolors, drawings, woodcuts and other graphic works from the Bauhaus, including works by Paul Klee, Johannes ltten, Lyonel Feininger, Auguste Macke and Wassily Kandinsky, as well as a selection of student projects. This exhibit was the largest and broadest showing of Bauhaus art outside of Europe. The Bauhaus in Calcutta tells us how this fascinating encounter came about, and presents the occasion as an exemplary case in exhibition history, in its attempt to explore common visions. The Bauhaus exhibition in Calcutta in 1922 was a unique experience on the international art scene - a meeting of artistic and intellectual affinities. This book gives an account of how this unusual encounter came about and presents the exhibition as an exemplary case of art history that dealt with shared visions rather than transfers from the West to the East