Pathways of Art – How Objects Get to the Museum

Since 1952, the Museum Rietberg has brought together unique art made by the world’s very different cultures – but how did it get here? What routes did it take? What modifications in material and changes in meaning did it undergo on its travels?

The exhibition Pathways of Art traces these routes and shows across some 20 stations who was involved in the trade and respective acquisitions and who owned the works before they entered the museum.

Its focus, then, is on the question of provenance, that is, the objects’ stories of origin, with emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Closely linked with these object biographies comes a rich variety of encounters and connections between individuals, institutions, and even countries that the exhibition seeks to examine more closely. With its critical examination of the origins of its collection, the Museum Rietberg seeks to contribute to a debate of public interest about the approach it takes to its collections and their historical background.