Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948), a pivotal figure in modern art and a founder of the Merz movement, is the focus of a new exhibition at the Musée national Picasso - Paris. The exhibition, titled Kurt Schwitters – The World-Chaos, 1918-1948, will run from October 6, 2026, to February 7, 2027, and Beaux Arts has also published a portrait of Schwitters. Known for his work as a painter, graphic designer, sculptor, architect, and phonetic poet, Schwitters was associated with artists like Raoul Hausmann and Jean Arp. He rejected the exclusivity of Dada and instead formed connections with artists advocating for abstract art around the world. Schwitters was famous for collecting discarded materials to create the Merzbau, an ever-changing, ephemeral installation that he continued to rebuild during his exile from 1937 until his death. Schwitters was born in Hanover in 1887 and studied painting at the Kunst Akademie in Dresden from 1909 to 1914. His early portraits of his wife, Helma Fischer, already broke away from traditional styles. He was drafted into the military in 1914 but was discharged in 1917 due to health problems and later worked at Wülfel steelworks. In 1918, his son Ernst Schwitters was born, who would later become a significant photographer. Schwitters' painting style gradually moved toward abstraction. He exhibited his first collages at the Berlin gallery Der Sturm, where his work caught the attention of Jean Arp and Hannah Höch. In 1919, he adopted the syllable "Merz" from a bank banner, which became a recurring theme in his work. His poem "An Anna-Blume" gained popularity. His association with Der Sturm caused him to be distrusted by Richard Huelsenbeck, leading to his exclusion from the 1920 International Fair. Schwitters published a manifesto criticizing Berlin Dadaism and, along with Hannah Höch and Raoul Hausmann, severed ties with the Berlin Dada scene in 1921. Schwitters participated in the 1923 Dada-Constructivist Congress near Weimar and collaborated with artists like Theo Van Doesburg and El Lissitzky on the Merz magazine he founded in 1923. In 1932, he contributed a phonetic poem titled "L'Ursonate" to the final issue of Merz. In 1937, Schwitters' Merzbau was included in the Munich "Degenerate Art" exhibition, prompting him to leave Germany. His wife remained in Germany to manage their family's assets and the Merzbau, which was later destroyed by bombings. Schwitters then settled in Lysaker, Norway, before moving to Great Britain after the German invasion of Norway in 1940. His German nationality led to his internment on the Isle of Man, where he created small abstract figures and returned to painting. In 1945, Schwitters arrived in London and was welcomed by critic Herbert Read and artist Ben Nicholson. A grant from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) allowed him to purchase a barn in Ambleside, where he began constructing the Merzbarn in 1947. He died in 1948 with his partner, Edith Thomas, at his bedside. Schwitters' work influenced later artists such as Richard Rauschenberg, Joseph Beuys, Arman, and Mario Merz. Among his key works are Merzbild 25 A. Das Sternenbild (1920), a mixed media piece combining collage, assemblage, painting, and sculpture. The Merzbau in Hanover (1923–1937), an accumulation of found objects embedded in plaster pillars, was described as a "Cathedral of Erotic Misery." Mother and Egg (around 1945–1947) marked his return to naturalist painting and sculpture, influenced by artists like Arp, Miró, and Max Ernst.