Bizarre! The Art History of the Craziest Word in the World

Seit der Renaissance ist „bizarr“ die ultimative Bezeichnung für Realitäten, welche die Ordnung der Welt radikal in Frage stellen. Psychische Ausnahmezustände, Träume, Monstrositäten, haarsträubende Verhaltensweisen, aber auch: verwegene Einfälle und geniale Schöpfungen.

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  Günther Kieser, Frank Zappa‘s Mothers of Invention, Detail, 1971

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  Top and Tail, 1777, Radierung koloriert, Kunstbibliothek

Since the Renaissance, “bizarre” has been the ultimate description of realities that radically question the order of the world: exceptional psychological states, dreams, monstrosities, and hair-raising behaviour, but also daring ideas and ingenious creations.

The exhibition at the Kunstbibliothek (Art Library) is the first of its kind. It explores the term’s origins, following its career from the artists’ studios and scholars’ dens of the early modern period up to present-day consciousness research and quantum physics. In the 21st century, the now more than 500-year-old history of the bizarre has reached a new peak: An idea in art becomes the concept behind the world, in which the “bizarre” is perhaps the last reliable factor.

Bizarre! is an adventurous journey of discovery through the Kunstbibliothek’s book and museum collections, featuring more than 150 fantastical objects from the history of the visual arts, architecture, fashion, photography, design, and book and media arts. Many bizarre visual ideas are making their public debut in this exhibition.

A special exhibition of the Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Runtime: Fri, 27/11/2026 to Mon, 29/03/2027

Takes place here:

• Kulturforum