When can the Charles Ray exhibition be seen at Fridericianum?

The exhibition can be seen from August 22, 2026, to January 3, 2027.

How much is the admission fee?

The regular admission for adults costs 6 euros. The reduced admission is 4 euros; students and trainees pay 2 euros.

What are the opening hours of Fridericianum?

Fridericianum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 11 AM to 6 PM. Extended opening hours until 8 PM apply on Thursdays.

Are there tours of the exhibition?

Fridericianum regularly offers public tours. The costs are included in the admission; current dates can be found in the house's event calendar.

Is the exhibition accessible for people with disabilities?

The exhibition takes place at Fridericianum at Friedrichsplatz 18 in Kassel. Information about specific accessibility can be directly inquired at the house via info@fridericianum.org.

How can Fridericianum be reached by public transport?

Fridericianum is located at Friedrichsplatz and is about 200 meters from the Friedrichsplatz tram stop.

Charles Ray in Kassel: When Sculpture Transforms Space and Our Gaze

Name: Charles Ray
Start: 2026-11-01T11:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-01-03T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Fridericianum

Charles Ray at Fridericianum: Experiencing Sculpture as Space

From August 22, 2026, to January 3, 2027, the Fridericianum in Kassel is dedicating an institutional solo exhibition to the American sculptor Charles Ray. The art experience leads right into a contemporary sculptural practice that intertwines art history, physicality, material, and spatial perception.

When Sculpture Consists of Space

Charles Ray investigates the genesis of art and the conditions of its installation. His works range from a few grams to nearly twenty tons. It is precisely in this tension between physical heaviness and mental agility that the special aesthetic experience of his works unfolds: sculpture does not appear as an isolated object but as a relationship of form, scale, light, movement, and space.

Body, Perception, and Art History

Ray is one of the defining sculptors of the present day. Born in 1953 in Chicago and living in Los Angeles since 1981, he has been working with sculpture, photography, film, and performance since the 1970s. His art oscillates between minimalism, conceptual art, and figurative sculpture, without being permanently categorized into a single artistic movement. Influences from Greek-Roman sculpture, Auguste Rodin, and Alberto Giacometti combine with a radically contemporary investigation of representation and reality.

The Exhibition Atmosphere at Fridericianum

The historical architecture of the Fridericianum creates a resonant framework for Ray's expansive works. Between smooth surfaces, precise contours, and irritating proportions, a contemplation of the works emerges that continually unsettles one's gaze. Familiar bodies and objects appear both real and artificial, present and transcendent. Light, material, and spatial effect become active components of the curation.

A Significant Moment for Kassel

After his participation in documenta 9 in 1992, Charles Ray is returning to Kassel with his first institutional solo exhibition in Germany. The exhibition thus connects to the international significance of the documenta city and opens a concentrated access to an artist whose work shifts the boundaries between object, body image, and architectural space.

Cultural Education and Public Tours

The Fridericianum regularly offers public tours. The dates are published in the house's event calendar; the costs are included in the admission fee. Additionally, individual tours and workshops are available for groups, students, and children. Thus, the exhibition combines sensory perception with art-historical classification and cultural education.

Conclusion: An Exhibition That Changes the Gaze

Charles Ray at the Fridericianum promises an intense encounter with sculpture as a physical, mental, and spatial experience. Art enthusiasts will experience works that question scale and reality and make the museum space newly interpretable. Those who want to not only view contemporary sculpture but also experience it physically and intellectually should visit this exhibition in person.