As the first major exhibition under new director Verena Kaspar-Eisert, the Heidi Horten Collection is dedicating (*1956), presenting for the first time the full breadth and depth of her interdisciplinary body of work. Painting, sculpture, performance, photography, and drawing enter into a dialogue with her philosophical thought as well as her social and ecological commitment, offering the most comprehensive insight to date into Samsonow’s work.

At the heart of her artistic practice is an exploration of the Earth as a living entity—as the bearer of history, energy, and collective memory. Drawing on ecofeminist thought, Samsonow develops alternative visions of coexistence and interconnectedness among humans, animals, plants, and the Earth.

Wood is a central material in Samsonow’s work: since the 1990s, she has been creating anthropomorphic sculptures from linden wood, carving them from whole trunks. The grain, weight, surface, and scent of the wood underscore the material’s distinct character and presence. In her performances, the sculptures come to life and appear as living, speaking counterparts.

The journey through Elisabeth von Samsonow’s multifaceted body of work—rich in both form and content—spans two floors of the museum and places her works in a layered dialogue with selected pieces from the Heidi Horten Collection. 

Through precise and surprising juxtapositions with artists such as Alexander Calder, Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Egon Schiele, and Alexej von Jawlensky, the exhibition opens up new perspectives on Samsonow’s long-standing artistic and theoretical engagement with cultural traditions and the visual worlds of art.  A Venus figurine dating back more than 6,800 years will also be part of the exhibition. As a symbol of a matriarchal visual and conceptual world, it addresses questions about the role of women in social and ecological contexts—questions that have shaped Samsonow’s thinking and work for decades.

An open studio underscores the exhibition’s participatory and dialogic character, as well as the concept of an expanded artistic practice that is characteristic of Samsonow’s work. Visitors are invited to actively explore her interdisciplinary universe and to reflect on a worldview based on interdependence, interconnectedness, and responsibility.

Curated by Hana O. O. Haas and Rolf H. Johannsen.

A comprehensive catalog will be published to accompany the exhibition.
Press event for the Elisabeth von Samsonow exhibition

Friday, September 18, 2026, 10 a.m.
the artist is present

Please RSVP at: [email protected]