Conversation(s) - Musée Unterlinden

Catalogue of the exhibition Conversation(s), presented at the Unterlinden Museum, Colmar (26 June – 7 December 2026).

An exhibition conceived as a dialogue between the medieval masterpieces in its collections and major works of modern and contemporary art. Designed as a transhistorical journey, it explores the emotional, formal and symbolic affinities that run through the history of art from the 13th century to the present day.

By bringing together works from vastly different contexts, media and eras, the exhibition highlights the enduring nature of certain artistic themes – the body, the sacred, violence, vanity, memory and materiality – and reveals the echoes, resonances and, at times, frictions that have emerged over the centuries.

Alongside the museum’s iconic medieval masterpieces, the exhibition brings together major works by modern artists such as Niki de Saint Phalle, César, Maryan and Pierre Soulages, as well as key figures on the international contemporary art scene, including Ron Mueck, Annette Messager, Maurizio Cattelan and Robert Combas.

This exhibition catalogue is conceived as an introspective journey through the history of humankind and creativity. It explores the evolution of modes of representation and artistic sensibilities across the centuries, offering contrasts that are as poetic as they are philosophical.