A new exhibition in France, "Hilma af Klint: The Temple Paintings (1906-1915)" at the Grand Palais in collaboration with the Pompidou Center, spotlights the Swedish artist's groundbreaking abstract works. Af Klint, who began creating bold, vibrant abstract compositions as early as 1906—years before Wassily Kandinsky—believed she was guided by spirits called the High Masters during séances with a group known as the Five. The show focuses on her "Paintings for the Temple" series, 193 works completed over nine years that she insisted remain hidden for 20 years after her death, believing the world was not ready for them.
This exhibition matters because it positions af Klint as one of history's first abstract artists, challenging the long-held narrative that Kandinsky pioneered abstraction. By bringing her overlooked oeuvre to a major French institution for the first time, the show reexamines art history through the lens of esotericism, folklore, and scientific culture. It also highlights how af Klint's occultist beliefs—rooted in Spiritualism, Theosophy, and Anthroposophy—drove her creative freedom, offering a timeless and universal dimension to modern art.