Rivaling Reality: 60 Years of Photorealism. The Current Exhibition at Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, Germany

Baden-Baden, the elegant spa town nestled in the Black Forest, has long drawn visitors with its unique blend of thermal springs, cosmopolitan vibe, and world-class art scene. The picturesque Lichtentaler Allee, the opulent bathhouses, and the Festspielhaus create the perfect backdrop for a rejuvenating and inspiring escape. At the heart of this cultural haven stands the Museum Frieder Burda, a sleek modern structure designed by Richard Meier, whose crisp architecture and expansive galleries provide an ideal setting for contemporary art. Right now, the museum is home to one of the season’s most captivating shows: “Rivaling Reality: 60 Years of Photorealism.”

The exhibition runs from February 28 through August 2, 2026, featuring over 90 works by more than 30 international artists. It traces the evolution of Photorealism across six decades—a movement that, since the 1960s, has challenged reality itself through technical precision and photographic-like sharpness. Born as a counterpoint to Abstract Expressionism, these artists seize on everyday banalities—gleaming chrome cars, empty diners, shop windows, and bold billboards—and transform them into mesmerizing illusions via painstaking brushwork.

Among the trailblazers is Richard Estes, whose urban vistas, like “Nedick’s” (1970), captivate with flawless reflections on glass facades. Estes captures the anonymity and bustle of city life, yet his canvases evoke a serene, almost meditative calm. Audrey Flack, one of the few women in the early Photorealist circle, infuses her lavish still lifes with a feminine lens. In pieces featuring intricate arrays of cosmetics, fruits, and vanitas motifs, she merges hyperreal detail with feminist and existential undertones—turning ordinary items into emblems of beauty, ephemerality, and consumerism.

Ralph Goings turns his focus to quintessential American life: His signature diners and pickup trucks, as seen in “Richmond Diner” (1983), radiate a poignant melancholy while quietly probing the “American Dream.” His masterful rendering of light bouncing off chrome and glass makes the surfaces feel tantalizingly tangible. Contemporary voices like Karin Kneffel in Germany reimagine mundane scenes (dogs, landscapes, interiors) as poetic, technically dazzling enigmas.

Other standout pieces come from Robert Cottingham (radios and signs), Don Eddy (parking lots and reflections), Roberto Bernardi (hyperreal fruits and confections), along with Raphaella Spence, Ben Johnson, and many more. The show powerfully demonstrates that Photorealism isn’t mere replication but a thoughtful reconstruction of the world—an intellectual and visual spectacle.

For those seeking a deeper exploration, the accompanying catalog is available in two separate editions: the English version, Rivaling Reality: 6…