Rudolf Haegele on the 100th Birthday in the Gallery in the Town Hall Aalen

Rudolf Haegele 100 Years: Earth Signs, Layers, Traces of Memory

The Gallery in the Town Hall Aalen dedicates a focused exhibition to Rudolf Haegele on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Between painting, wall, and writing, an art experience unfolds that transforms the viewing of the work into an aesthetic experience: earthy color fields, scraped plaster layers, emerging signs – palimpsests of memory.

Painting as Palimpsest: Color, Plaster, Inscribed Time

From up close, the surface appears physical: mixed techniques of color and plaster form relief-like sediments. Erosions reveal words and ciphers, lines engrave themselves into the material. This creates an exhibition atmosphere between archaeology and poetry – a visual uncovering of history.

Forms Knowledge from Stuttgart: School, Secession, Stained Glass

Haegele shaped generations of artists as a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart; as chairman of the Stuttgart Secession, he connected tradition and present. His stained glass for municipal and sacred spaces in southern Germany shows the same material intelligence as painting: light becomes the building material.

Work Focuses: Panels, Fragments, Myth

Series like Palimpsest, triptychs, and large-format panels address rupture and continuity. Figure and architecture fragments, ancient myths, and topographical references intertwine to create image spaces, where color, rhythm, and scratch marks carry the narrative.

Curating with a Focus on Material and Space

The hanging emphasizes material qualities: earthy color spectra alongside chalky abrasions, written characters against saturated color clods. The town hall space supports this interpretation by modulating the structure of the surfaces with light edges. This promotes active viewing of the works and invites comparative seeing – a didactic added value for art educational discussions.

Education and Communication

The exhibition is suitable for schools, studies, and art-affine audiences: themes such as artistic direction of post-war modernism, image carriers as storage, writing in the image, material iconography, and stained glass in public spaces can be discussed exemplarily. For groups, it is advisable to contact the Cultural Office.

Conclusion: Those who love material poetry will experience a rare density here. Haegele shows how painting can think: as layers of world and word. A concentrated visit opens perspectives on art, history, and light. Must be seen live.

Official Channels of Rudolf Haegele:

• Instagram: No official profile found
• Facebook: No official profile found
• YouTube: No official profile found
• Website: https://www.rudolf-haegele.de/

Sources:

• Aalen Culture – Exhibition: Rudolf Haegele (1926–1998) on the 100th Birthday
• Wikipedia – Rudolf Haegele
• Gallery Cyprian Brenner – Works by Rudolf Haegele
• City of Aalen – Information on the Gallery in the Town Hall Aalen
• Theater Aalen – Inclusion Paths in Aalen, barrier-free WC in the Town Hall
• Aalen Local – Guide Town Hall Aalen, underground parking at the marketplace