With the exhibition Unfolding Colour, the Museum Frieder Burda celebrates the work of the Hungarian-born painter. Having emigrated to Paris in 1948, Hantaï initially moved within the circles of the Surrealist avant-garde. In the mid-1950s, he turned to a form of gestural abstraction, often evoking calligraphy. Marked by Art Informel, the works from this period also bear witness to his strong interest in American Action Painting, particularly the work of Jackson Pollock. In the exhibition, this influence can be seen in three works entitled Peinture, dated 1956, 1957 and 1959, from the collection of the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art.

A turning point in Hantaï’s career came in 1960, when he began working with the technique of folding. This process involves applying oil or acrylic paint to the exposed areas of canvases that have first been folded, crumpled or knotted, before unfolding and stretching them on frames. The process reveals coloured forms and areas of unpainting canvas, shaped partly by chance. Among the 40 works on display are numerous monumental works from the Pliagesperiod, including Étude (the Études series, 1968–1971) and Blancs (the Blancs series, 1973–1974), both on loan from the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art.