Günther Uecker
The Vulnerability of the World

The exhibition at the Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck is the first to be held following the death of the artist Günther Uecker (*1930, Wendorf; †2025, Düsseldorf), and the last in whose conception he was personally involved. It honours the internationally acclaimed artist who inscribed his name in art history with his iconic nail paintings and reliefs and, as a key figure of the ZERO group, helped to revolutionize post-war art.

Uecker maintained a close association with the artists’ station at Rolandseck: the nail relief Bett zum Aufwachen (A Bed to Wake In, 1965) remains part of the museum’s collection to this day. The performative film Die Treppe (The Staircase, 1964) shows Uecker gradually conquering the station forecourt, nail by nail. In total, around 45 works from seven decades are presented, ranging from early nail objects and kinetic installations to later series that reflect Uecker’s spiritual orientation and his humanist worldview. At the heart of the exhibition are works dedicated to the vulnerability of the world – the expression of a lifelong oeuvre shaped by a commitment to peace, empathy, and human responsibility.