In honor of Gerhard Richter’s 90th birthday, the Gerhard Richter Archive is presenting the exhibition, Gerhard Richter: Portraits. Glass. Abstracts, in the Albertinum. The show is the result of close cooperation with the artist, who has selected 40 pieces for this special occasion. Most of the work comes from his own collection and the Gerhard Richter Kunststiftung, complemented by important loans from museums and private collections.

The exhibition focuses on the themes named in the title, to each of which Richter has dedicated one of three rooms in the Albertinum. The small-format Self-portrait (836-1) from 1996 serves as the leitmotif, while images of the artists family form the core of the selection.

For the room featuring abstracts, Gerhard Richter chose examples from recent years, among them Abstract Painting (952-4). This piece from 2017 signaled the official completion of his work as a painter.

The glass and mirrors in the third exhibition room, with their transparency and reflections, produce new, unlimited images from moment to moment. As early as 1986, Richter favored the term “image maker” over “painter” to describe his activities, since his interest lies first and foremost in images.