Not much to look at
Wassily Kandinsky, Fröhlicher Aufstieg, 1923 Farblithografie 35,5 x 28 cm (Blatt); 23,8 x 19,3 cm (Motiv) Von der Heydt-Museum Wuppertal
Ways of Abstraction 1920 until today
24 February - 1 September 2024

The Von der Heydt Museum is once again spreading its treasures: After "ZERO,
Pop and Minimal", the focus is now on abstraction: from classical modernism to
current trends in non-representational painting. Major works by well-known artists are on display as well as long-hidden treasures from the depots. A number of
new acquisitions from recent years will be exhibited for the first time ever. The
show is named after the title of an important example of informal painting in the
museum's collection: Jean Fautrier's painting "Not much to look at" from 1959.

In particular, the many surprising interrelationships between figurative and representational approaches on the one hand and non-representational or abstract
art on the other can be experienced in the exhibition. For example, when the historical key figure Max Ernst meets a current artist like Pius Fox or when works
by Amedée Ozenfant and Toulou Hassani, by Jean Dubuffet and Hannsjörg Voth,
by George Mathieu and Katharina Grosse meet. The paths of abstraction in modernism are intertwined: a lively and open process with many participants.

Different ideas stand at the beginning of abstract and abstracting painting. They
arose from the awareness that painting can do more than just translate the things
one sees into the two-dimensional of the canvas. The idea that a painting consists
solely of colours and lines on canvas and has no meaning beyond that originated
around the DeStijl movement of the 1920s and can be traced to the colour painting of today. Artists such as Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky also did not focus
on the real object for their abstract works, but looked inside themselves, combining external and internal experience. They had famous successors in informal painting.

The training of vision through abstract and non-representational art ultimately
leads to the fact that even figurative pictures are read purely formally and the
things depicted in them appearing strange, like self-referential structures of lines
and colours. In fact, quite a few artists also take the opposite approach. In their
works, the real object loses its everyday meaning: "Untitled".

Funded by:
Funded by:

Parking

Parking garages in the surrounding area

Parking garageOpening Hours 
Fleming’s ExpressMon to SunOpen 24 hours
 Tue to Sun07:30 a.m. – 01:30 p.m.
KarlsplatzMon to Sun06:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m.
CityArkadenMon to Sat07:30 a.m. – 20:30 p.m.
 Sun12:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m.
NeumarktMon to Sat06:30 a.m. – 23:30 p.m.
 Sou08:30 a.m. – 20:30 p.m.
St Josef / BergstraßeMon to Sun07:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m.
Ohligsmühle / VapianoMon to Sun06:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m.
Galeria Kaufhof NeumarkstraßeMon to Fri09:30 a.m. – 20:30 p.m.
 Sat09:30 a.m. – 19:00 p.m.
 Sunclosed
Hofaue CityMon to Sat06:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m.
 SunGeschlossen
TeijinMon to SunOpen 24 hours
Kleine KlotzbahnMon to SunOpen 24 hours
HautpbahnhofMon to SunOpen 24 hours

Parking facilities for the severely disabled

  • In the Parking Garage City-Arkaden you can find sufficient parking spaces for the severely disabled are available.
  • Also in the Parking Garage Rathhaus-Galerie
  • There are 2 parking places on Wall. Due to the traffic regulations as a pedestrian zone, these can only be approached within the loading times: in the morning until 11 a.m. and in the evening after 6 p.m.
  • Here you can find a list with the designated parking spaces in the city center (pdf-Download).
  • Here  you can find a list for Wuppertal.

Coaches

To get on and off the bus, please use the stop in Südstraße

Parking spaces

  • School Bus stop Stadthalle (Bahnhofstraße), Mon to Fri after 2 p.m., Sat, Sun and holidays. You can also park here during school holidays

  • Böttinger Weg (at the zoo)

PLEASE OBSERVE OUR HOUSE RULES

VON dER HEYDT MUSEUM

We are delighted to welcome you to the Von der Heydt Museum and hope you enjoy your visit. The house rules are binding for both visitors and all employees of the Von der Heydt Museum. By entering the museum building, you agree to comply with our house rules and all other regulations designed to maintain operational safety.

 

Admission and guided tours

  • An admission fee is charged for visiting the Von der Heydt Museum.
  • Please refer to the information board at the ticket office or our website for the
    respective admission and tour fees, or ask our ticket office staff.
  • Admission to our collection is free on the first Thursday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • You will receive paper wristbands at the ticket office as proof of admission. These must
    be worn on the wrist and are attached at your own risk; no liability is accepted.
    Admission to the exhibition rooms will not be granted without a wristband.
  • If you have booked a guided tour, please arrive at the meeting point in good time. Tours
    must start on time and unfortunately cannot be extended.

Cloakroom

  • The cloakroom is supervised and free of charge for our visitors.
  • Bags and backpacks, regardless of their size, walking sticks, umbrellas, jackets, and
    coats must be left at the cloakroom or stored in one of the lockers.
  • Bags that must be carried for health reasons will be checked by the supervisory
    staff and marked with a ribbon.
  • Due to space limitations, suitcases can only be stored for a limited time and only in
    conjunction with an admission wristband for the duration of the museum visit.

Exhibition

  • Please maintain a minimum distance of 50 cm from the artwork. Touching exhibits is
    not permitted.
  • In the event of damage to exhibits, the supervisory staff is authorized to record the
    personal details of the person responsible.
  • Legal guardians and accompanying persons of children’s and youth groups are
    responsible for their appropriate behavior. Running, romping around, and throwing
    toys is not permitted.
  • No liquids or food may be brought into or consumed in the exhibition rooms. Please
    use the ground floor for feeding babies and small children.
  • Smoking is prohibited throughout the building.
  • Portable folding seats are available free of charge. You will find them on the ground
    floor. Please return the stools there at the end of your visit.

Photography and cell phone use

  • Photography and filming are generally permitted in the museum’s own collection, but
    only for private purposes and without flash. Commercial use of the image material is
    prohibited. The copyrights to the artworks belong to the respective artist or their legal
    successors. As a rule, these are enforced against third parties by VG Bild/Kunst Bonn.
    Regardless of this, any use beyond private use also requires the express permission of
    the Von der Heydt Museum. Telephone inquiries: 0202/563-2471.
  • Selfie sticks or tripods are not permitted.
  • Photography permits for special exhibitions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
  • The museum rooms may not be used as a photo location, e.g., for wedding photos or
    similar.
  • Out of consideration for other visitors: Please switch your phone to silent
    mode and only make calls in the entrance area, not in the exhibition.

General

  • The museum area is monitored by video surveillance for security reasons.
  • During special exhibitions, there may be waiting times to enter the exhibition rooms
    when visitor numbers are high (this does not apply to booked guided tours).
  • For safety reasons, stairways, escape routes, and passageways must be kept clear.
  • In the event of a theft alarm, management is authorized to close all exits and carry
    out identity checks.

The von der Heydt Museum is wheelchair accessible.

  • Visitors with walking disabilities should report to the wheelchair door to the left of the
    main entrance. Elevators and two wheelchairs are available for loan in the building.
    Advance registration for wheelchair rental is recommended to ensure that a wheelchair
    is available at the desired time. Please make reservations by calling 0202/ 563-6231. The
    disabled toilet is located on the first floor.
  • Strollers are of course permitted in the exhibition. Access with strollers is also possible
    via the wheelchair entrance.

Via car

From highway A 46, take the exit W-Katernberg or W-Elberfeld.
Follow the parking guidance system in the direction of Zentrum Hofaue.

Here you can find an overview of the parking options

Today:
Closed
11:00 –18:00
11:00 – 18:00
11:00 – 20:00
11:00 – 18:00
11:00 – 18:00
11:00 – 18:00
Ticket Shop
Exhibitions

Via Public Transport

suspension monorail: Until Station Hauptbahnhof/Döppersberg; Walk from there in 3 minutes to Von der Heydt-Museum. Please follow the signs.

Bus lines: CE 65, 623, 643, 628, SB 69, 622, 603, 635, 620 until Wall/Museum CE65, 623, SB 69, 603, 635, 620, 612, 647 until Morianstraße

Train: Wuppertal Maint Train Station, Walk from there in 5 minutes to Von der Heydt-Museum. Please follow the signs.

timetable DB:  Click here