From 21 November 2025 to 15 February 2026, the special exhibition “Karl Hofer — Between Beauty and Truth” at the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale) will provide an in-depth insight into the work of one of the most independent painters of German modernism. Hofer moved between New Objectivity and Magical Realism and developed an unmistakable visual language: his paintings appear realistic and at the same time enraptured, the quiet drama and belief in the dignity of man characterise each of his works. The exhibition is the first to show more than 50 paintings from an important private collection in Leipzig and is divided into seven chapters that illuminate central themes and all of Hofer’s creative phases.
The show is complemented by nine paintings by artists of the Halle School, who after 1945 took up Hofer’s figurative painting in terms of style and atmosphere. This makes Hofer’s broad artistic range visible and at the same time emphasises his humanist message, which is more relevant today than ever. “Between Beauty and Truth” gets to the heart of Hofer’s artistic concerns: beauty as an artistic ideal, behind which lies the often difficult to bear truth of human destiny. Visitors to the exhibition will learn more about the multifaceted life’s work of this exceptional artist and be inspired to reflect on the depth and significance of humanism and art in the 20th century.
