When does the exhibition take place?

The special exhibition runs from 23.05.2026 to 04.10.2026 at the Edwin Scharff Museum in Neu-Ulm.

What is the admission fee?

The regular museum admission is 6 euros, reduced 5 euros. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

Are there guided tours through the exhibition?

Yes, art-historical tours and literary tours are scheduled. Registration is required up to two days in advance.

Is the museum barrier-free?

The museum is designed for good accessibility. It is located near Neu-Ulm train station, has an elevator and barrier-free pathways, as well as assistance devices in the foyer.

How can I get to the museum best?

The museum is located at Petrusplatz 4 in Neu-Ulm. It is about a 5 to 8 minute walk from Neu-Ulm train station; bus lines and an underground parking garage are also nearby.

Who is the exhibition suitable for?

The exhibition is aimed at art enthusiasts who want to experience sculpture, Expressionism, drawing, and art-historical thematic exhibitions intensively.

Ernst Barlach's Love is Expressed in the Museum through Quiet, Touching Imagery

Name: Ernst Barlach. Facets of Love
Start: 2026-05-23T02:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-05T01:59:59+02:00
Location: Edwin Scharff Museum / Kunstmuseum

Ernst Barlach: Love as Image, Language, and Human Experience

The Edwin Scharff Museum presents Ernst Barlach. Facets of Love, a special exhibition that makes one of the most significant sculptors, draftsmen, and authors of German modernity newly interpretable. The focus is not on the familiar romantic idea, but a broader concept of love: empathy, care, longing, closeness, motherhood, spiritual connection, and also the darker sides of human relationships.

An Artistic Experience Between Sculpture and Graphic Art

Barlach shaped his themes with an unmistakable expressive power. His bronze sculptures, drawings, and graphic works condense feelings into quiet, concentrated visual spaces. It is especially in the contemplation of the works that the range emerges that characterizes his oeuvre: sensual physicality, inner concentration, and an expressive reduction that makes every gesture meaningful.

Love Beyond the Conventional

The exhibition follows Barlach's lifelong engagement with the theme of love and shows how far his perspective reached. Love appears here as a fundamental human emotion, not merely as a couple motif. This curatorial perspective opens an art-historical demanding access to a work that conveys between Expressionism, sculpture, drawing, and literary thinking.

Works, Motifs, and Emotional Depth

The exhibited works include among others Kiss Group III from 1921, Couple from 1917/18, Star Reader II from 1909, and The Matchmaker II from 1920. These works reveal how nuanced Barlach explores human relationships: tender, vulnerable, archaic, sometimes even drastic. The gaze is never superficial but aims for inner truthfulness and existential tension.

Education, Tours, and Cultural Education

The museum accompanies the special exhibition with art-historical tours, literary formats, and workshops. Particularly appealing is the literary tour, where Barlach's texts enter into dialogue with those of his expressionist contemporaries. Thus, the exhibition becomes not only a place of contemplation but also of cultural education and aesthetic experience.

The Museum as a Place for Quiet, Intensive Contemplation

The Edwin Scharff Museum is an open house with a clear focus on mediation, collection, and accessibility, serving as both an art museum and children's museum. Its location at Petrusplatz, proximity to Neu-Ulm train station, and barrier-free access make visiting uncomplicated. Those who want to experience art in a quiet atmosphere will find ideal conditions for focused exhibition visits.

Conclusion: This exhibition makes Ernst Barlach as an artist of quiet, yet all the more compelling images newly experienceable. Anyone interested in Expressionism, sculpture, drawing, and art-historical thematic spaces should experience this presentation live. It promises not only insight but also an intense art experience full of closeness, depth, and resonance.