When does the exhibition run?

The special exhibition runs from 23.05.2026 to 04.10.2026.

Where does the exhibition take place?

At the Edwin Scharff Museum / Art Museum at Petrusplatz 4 in 89231 Neu-Ulm.

How much is the entry fee?

The regular entry fee for adults is €6. Admission is free for all visitors on Wednesdays.

Is the museum barrier-free?

Yes, the museum is designed to be accessible and offers, among other things, elevators, barrier-free access, and aids such as wheelchairs or rollators upon request.

Are there guided tours?

Yes, the museum offers guided tours and educational programs for various target groups. Visits for groups are possible by appointment.

Is the exhibition suitable for families and children?

Yes, the Edwin Scharff Museum is also a children's and family-friendly place. The exhibition can be well combined with a museum educational or family discovery tour.

Ernst Barlach in Neu-Ulm: Rediscover love, sculpture, and Expressionism

Name: Ernst Barlach. Facets of Love
Start: 2026-06-16T18:06:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-04T20:00:00+02:00
Location: Edwin Scharff Museum / Kunstmuseum

Ernst Barlach at the Edwin Scharff Museum: An exhibition about the many faces of love

With the special exhibition Ernst Barlach. Facets of Love, the Edwin Scharff Museum in Neu-Ulm offers an impressive view of one of the most significant sculptors, draftsmen, and authors of German modernity. The exhibition leads into an artistic experience that is not limited to the romantic ideal but understands love as an existential force: as longing, closeness, temptation, comfort, maternal love, and grief.

An artist between Expressionism, wood, and inner tension

Ernst Barlach is a part of the art history of Expressionism, yet his work eludes simple classifications. His sculptures, drawings, and lithographs combine monumental calm with spiritual intensity. It is precisely the tension between coarse materiality and finely nuanced feeling that makes his art so immediate. The Edwin Scharff Museum presents this richness of facets with selected exhibits and embeds them in poetic texts that deepen the viewing of the works.

Love as a theme of modernity

The exhibition shows how Barlach understood love not only as a private feeling but as a fundamental question of human existence. Motifs such as lovers, mother and child, sirens, commercial love, and unconditional neighborly love can be seen. Such themes open a historically insightful access to an era in which Expressionism and social experience are closely intertwined. Juxtapositions with works of Edwin Scharff reveal similarities and differences between the two contemporaries.

Spatial effect, material, and exhibition atmosphere

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors experience a concentrated, silent spatial effect. The sculptures unfold a dense exhibition atmosphere in interplay with graphics and texts, inviting slow contemplation. Barlach's preferred materials, especially wood and bronze, give the works a physical presence that makes closeness and vulnerability palpable. This is precisely where the aesthetic experience of this exhibition lies: it combines emotional immediacy with precise museum educational dissemination.

For whom the visit is particularly worthwhile

The exhibition is aimed at art enthusiasts, museum guests, school classes, and anyone who values cultural education as a lively approach to modernity. The Edwin Scharff Museum serves as a house for art and children's museum, making it a place where mediation and collection work closely together. Guided tours and educational offerings complement the visit and make the special exhibition attractive for groups as well.

Conclusion

Ernst Barlach. Facets of Love promises a touching as well as knowledgeable encounter with a key work of German modernity. Anyone wanting to understand how art shapes, condenses, and makes feelings visible should definitely experience this exhibition live in Neu-Ulm.