What's On at Europe's Museums

From icon to avant-garde

Icon Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Russian artists in the early 20th century were not only influenced but also fascinated by icons. Kandinsky even declared his work iconic, claiming his "Black Square" was "the naked, unframed icon of my time" and the "icon of suprematism." This exhibition examines how the avant-garde drew on traditional Russian art in their work. Some 130 icons and modern artworks are on show from artists such as Chagall, Kandinsky, Malevich, El Lissitzky, Goncharova, Mayakovsky and Jawlensky, including works that have never before been exhibited

The exhibition "When Chagall Learned to Fly" will run from January 31 to April 25. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesday until 8 p.m.

South African visions

Castello di Rivoli Museum of Modern Art, Rivoli, Italy

William Kentridge, the Johannesburg artist and director, deals with South Africa's problematic history in his work. In the 1990s, the 48-year-old began receiving international acclaim, in particular for his animated short films and the charcoal drawings. An exhibition at Rivoli Castle near Turin is showing a selection of Kentridge's oeuvre, including newer works, such as "Slehumeeping on Glass" (1999) and "Zeno Writing" (2002). Kentridge made a new animated film expressly for the exhibition, entitled "Al mare," which is also being screened.

The exhibition runs until February 29 and will then travel to Düsseldorf, Sydney, Montreal and Johannesburg. The castle is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Around the world with Simenon

Jeu de Paume Gallery, Paris

Georges Simenon (1903-1989), a prolific Belgian author, started his 155-day journey around the world from New York in 1934. The result was more than 3,000 photographs, 150 of which are on view in the exhibition "L'oeil de Simenon" (Simenon's Eye). The show includes portraits of unknown and well-known people, such as Leo Trotsky, landscapes and sunsets. "Every one of his pictures is a mystery. It is a world full of sensitivity, far away from conventions," the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson said of the pictures.

The show continues until March 7. The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Tuesday until 9:30 p.m. On weekends, it's open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The bird had a yellow beak

Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria

With the series "Doors," in which Gary Hume painted doors he found in public institutions, like schools and hospitals, the artist emerged as one of the shooting starts of "Young British Art" in the 1980s. Hume continues to toy with historical references, pop culture and double-entendres. The exhibition "The Bird Had a Yellow Beak" shows some 50 pieces of his works, including some of his large format doors, windows and his lesser known drawings.

"The Bird had a Yellow Beak" runs through March 21.The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Little-known Romantic landscapes

Neue Pinakothek, Munich

Generations of Germans have grown up with Ludwig Richter's (1803-1884) fairytale and schoolbook illustrations, but few of them are familiar with the Romantic artist's paintings. The exhibition "Ludwig Richter, the Painter" aims to rectify this oversight. The show is the first to concentrate solely on the artist as a painter. Richter completed the 50 oil paintings and studies on display in Italy and near his Dresden home.

"Ludwig Richter, the Painter" runs through April 25. The museum is open daily except Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesday until 8 p.m.