There are cheerful lines, somber ones, serious, tragic, exuberant, weak, and strong lines. They are an independent language to express emotions, energy, rhythm, space, light, and movement.

—Alexander Mikhailovich Rodchenko

The exhibition Die Linie | The Line is dedicated to the line as a fundamental element of visual art. Like tones in music and characters in language, the line constitutes an essential principle of design in drawing and painting. Between subjective gestures and constructive abstraction, the line serves endless functions: it structures surfaces and defines forms, creates contours and boundaries, separates and connects. It documents and records space and time, depicts reality, creates illusion, and captures the imaginary.

Starting from the classical medium of drawing, the exhibition explores exemplary ways in which the line can be used to create artistic worlds and respond artistically to the world. A particular focus is placed on contemporary works that transcend traditional genre boundaries by extending the line into three-dimensional space. The exhibition also includes works that make the line tangible within the context of artistic engagement with social and political spaces.