This coming Sunday, March 16, the Reinhard Ernst Museum (mre) opens its inaugural contemporary art exhibition, "Helen Frankenthaler: Move and Make." For the first time, visitors will encounter the captivating colour worlds of this New York master in a major solo exhibition, featuring exclusively works from the Reinhard Ernst Collection. The opening day celebrates artistic expression through breakdancing performances, an open colour laboratory, and engaging art education programs.

Painter Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011) stands among the most influential voices of Abstract Expressionism and is widely recognized as the pioneer of colour field painting. Her prolific artistic legacy continues to resonate as powerfully today as when first created. This exhibition offers a comprehensive exploration of this extraordinary artist's life and practice.
In the early 1970s, Frankenthaler articulated her creative philosophy in words that lend their essence to this exhibition's title: "I'd rather think and move and make than halt."

"Move and make" sets the tone for opening day at the mre, where two acclaimed hip hop collectives take the stage: "True Rokin Soul" from Mannheim and "Breaking News" from Mainz bring dynamic energy to the museum. Art education is central to the mre's mission—and nowhere more so than at this exhibition opening. Curator Lea Schäfer leads gallery talks at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., offering intimate perspectives on Frankenthaler's practice. Director Dr. Oliver Kornhoff guides visitors through the exhibition at 2 p.m. Meet in the foyer before Karl Martin Hartmann's installation "The Ladybird, the Innocence and the Cars," near the elevator.

A team of 17 educators circulates through the galleries, ready to answer questions and deepen visitors' engagement with the work. Each guide brings focused expertise tailored to different sections of the exhibition. Throughout Sunday, visitors can dive into hands-on creativity at the Open Colour Laboratory—launching at noon—to experience "move and make" firsthand. The museum shop features a carefully curated collection inspired by Frankenthaler's palette: from jewellery and porcelain to leather goods and dip-dye candles, alongside stationery and the new catalogue. A nostalgic popcorn stand provides refreshments for the road. Admission is €10 on opening day; children and teens under 18 enter free. Tickets available online.

www.museum-re.de