Hyper Real – Art and America around 1970 explores the artistic reflection of the American Way of Life in the context of socio-political phenomena, such as the Vietnam War, the Oil-Crisis, the Civil-Rights-Movement and the Nixon Era. The exposition will highlight Realisms in post-war American art and their reception in the context of the documenta 5 in Kassel 1972. A broad variety of historic documents such as posters, books, movies and records will allow the visitor to immerse into American everyday life of the 1970s.

The American Photorealists owe their fame to the perfection with which they captured the polished surfaces of consumer industry. In addition to the minute renderings of glossy and reflective hub caps (Don Eddy), American trailers (Ralph Goings) and glazed skyscraper lobbies (Richard Estes), the exhibition will also investigate artistic references to socio-political conflicts: Works of conceptual photography will show the monotony of urban neighbourhoods (Dan Graham) and highways (Ed Ruscha) or bring the brutal reality of the Vietnam war into American living rooms (Martha Rosler). Strikingly realistic representations of marginalized people (Duane Hanson) will represent a sculptural counterpart of photorealism. The exhibition will show around 250 works, most of which stem from the collection of five Ludwig museums. External private and public loans complement the stock. Several impressive loans will broaden the selection of photographic works: William Eggleston, Lewis Baltz, Stephen Shore and Gary Winogrand underline the importance of this medium in American art.