From August 16 to December 1, 2024, the Kunstmuseum Bern presents a major retrospective on Chaïm Soutine, a significant figure in classical modernism. The exhibition, which has been organized in collaboration with major art institutions in Düsseldorf and Denmark, features around 60 works spanning Soutine’s career. These include pieces from the Kunstmuseum’s own collection and loans from prestigious international galleries like the Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Tate, MoMA, and the National Gallery of Art.

Chaïm Soutine’s work explores existential themes through vivid, expressive paintings of landscapes, portraits of society’s lower strata, and still lifes of slaughtered animals, reflecting his own life experiences and the broader socio-political context of his time. His paintings are characterized by bold, dynamic colors and a restless, powerful line, setting him apart from the abstract trends of his contemporaries. His style has influenced post-1945 artists, notably in Abstract Expressionism and the School of London. Born into a Jewish Orthodox family in Belarus, Soutine moved to Paris in 1913, where he remained an outsider due to cultural and linguistic differences, influencing his art’s raw, empathetic portrayal of life. Despite being less recognized than peers like Modigliani or Chagall, Soutine’s work has inspired numerous modern and contemporary artists. His influence was also noted in the Belarusian democratic protests of 2020-21.

The exhibition aims to introduce Soutine’s unique artistic vision to a broader audience, highlighting his contributions to modern art and his enduring influence on subsequent generations of artists. Chaim Soutine: Against the Current / Retrospective at Kunstmuseum Bern. Press Preview, Bern (Switzerland), August 14, 2024.

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