Brancusi

From 20 March to 9 August 2026, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is presenting in cooperation with the Centre Pompidou in Paris a major solo exhibition dedicated to the Romanian-French sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Featuring more than 150 works, it will be the first comprehensive exhibition of this exceptional artist in Germany in over 50 years. The exhibition is held under the joint patronage of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic and Nicușor Dan, President of Romania.

Constantin Brancusi (1876–1957) is considered the founder of modern sculpture. After a traditional academic beginning, Brancusi developed his own distinctive style in Paris from 1907 onward. His organic sculptures, reduced to their essence, established him as a pioneer of sculptural abstraction in the early 20th century. Brancusi’s continuous search for an artistic ideal is reflected in the formal variations of a few central motifs and his playful use of different materials and surfaces. He continued to develop his themes, in some cases over decades. This was often accompanied by an increasing process of abstraction. Fragmentariness and a radical simplification of form are central elements of his art.

In addition to key works such as Sleeping Muse, The Kiss, Bird in Space, and Endless Column, the exhibition also features a partial reconstruction of Brancusi’s legendary studio. This ensemble, which the artist bequeathed to the French state in 1957 and which now belongs to the Centre Pompidou, is considered key to understanding his work, a laboratory of form and direct testimony to his creative process. It will be shown outside of Paris for the first time.

From the 1920s onwards, Brancusi primarily presented his works in his studio on Impasse Ronsin in Paris. For him, it was not only a place of work, but also an exhibition and living space. As the centrepiece of the retrospective, this studio space displays Brancusi's tools, furniture and artworks – complemented by an extensive selection of historical objects, documents, photographs and films that tell the story of the exceptional artist's work and life in an illustrated biography.

With over 150 sculptures, drawings, photographs, films, and rarely seen archival material from the Centre Pompidou and other public and private international collections, the show offers the most extensive overview to date about the multifaceted work of one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century.

While the work of Brancusi, who became a French citizen in 1952, is widely celebrated in France, his work remains relatively unknown to the broader public in Germany. This exhibition seeks to bring the recognition he deserves to a wider German audience.

A catalogue in German and English will be published by Distanz Verlag: 240 pages, approx. 94 colour illustrations, ISBN 978-3-95476-825-7, 44 €.
The exhibition is made possible by the FREUNDE DER NATIONALGALERIE.