Julius Bissier and East Asia: The Realm of My Imagination (Hardcover)
Julius Bissier (1893 Freiburg i. Breisgau – 1965 Ascona) belongs to the pioneers in the field of abstract paintings in Germany, which gains important impulse from the East Asian art—especially his works in ink but also his miniatures or early works in tempera. Internationally known since the late 1950s, Bissier's career was at its height at the moment Zen-Buddhism and East Asian calligraphy were absorbed with excitement in the West. This exhibition catalog from the Museum für Neue Kunst Freiburg introduces Bissier's works alongside other examples of East Asian art.
Anna Hagdorn studied East Asian Art History and Sinology at Freie Universität Berlin and Chinese Language at Peking University. Her research interests include art education and the perception of East Asian art, as well as the historiography of East Asian art museums/collections in German-speaking Europe. Having held positions at Bernisches Historisches Museum and the section of East Asian Art at the University of Zurich, she is now project head of the art education project, "Kunst sehen – Religion ver-stehen" (understanding Religion through Art), at Museum Rietberg Zurich. Isabel Herda is head of the Graphische Sammlung and Deputy Director of the Museum für Neue Kunst, Freiburg. She studied European Art History as well as Medieval and Modern History at the University of Heidelberg. Her research interests range from questions relating to museum collecting to the significance of drawing in contemporary art. Recent exhibitions and accompanying catalogs include Susanne Kuhn, Spaziergänge & andere Storys/Walks & Other Stories, Freiburg 2017; Herbert Maier. wer wir sind/who we are, Freiburg 2016.