It Must Be Seen. The Autonomy of Colour in Abstract Art will present the work of a large number of 20th and 21st century artists for whom color was an essential and structuring principle. With nearly one hundred pieces from all five continents, the exhibition will focus on early abstraction experiments and the use of flat color areas, which are not modulated by gesture. In addition to painting, sculpture and works on paper, it will include film and video, installations and interventions, textiles, ceramics, photographs, books and documents.

The exhibition will also have a space dedicated to the precursors of color autonomy, with publications by theorists of the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as major pieces that demonstrate the sources of color in different civilizations, its relationship with optics and the physics of light, natural and synthetic pigments and dyes, and their use throughout the history of art.

During the International Patronage Awards, The Luck of Giving aims to serve as a meeting point and a platform of inspiration for society, business, and institutions, fostering a transformation of the human spirit that is as essential as it is inevitable. This transformation finds its most meaningful expression through a deep commitment to art and its inclusive dissemination.

Patrons, artists, collectors, curators, and museum directors gather at this event to share their personal experiences in the realm of patronage, recognizing it as a powerful means of connection, learning, and collective growth.

The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation is located eighty miles northeast of New York City on seventy acres of wooded property in Bethany, Connecticut.

The residency program commenced in 1999 and has to date hosted over 200 artists. It maintains two residential studios for visiting artists and is designed to provide time, space, and solitude, with the benefit of access to the Foundation’s archives and library.