‘Have you seen the Hilma Af Klint show yet?’ seems to be the most asked question amongst London-based art lovers at present. That the exhibition title is frequently shortened to Af Klint’s name is testament to her soaring popularity within mass culture, making ‘The Ten Largest’ (1907) a prime selfie spot. Her spectacular practice is wholeheartedly deserving of the accolades, however the hustle and bustle caused by her appeal detract from the serenity of cosmic colours and shapes, and prevailing themes of spiritualism and nature.

For a blockbuster show which unites two (male and female) artists together, Tate curators have refreshingly chosen their subjects on confluences of technique and influence, rather than romantic ties. Notably, Af Klint and Mondrian did not know each other, but the synergy of their practices is remarkable. We see this most profoundly in the fifth room, ‘Dynamic Colour’, a pastel haven of subtle pinks and blues brought together to express the ‘universal’. As seen through the abstract paintings on the wall, Mondrian turned to horizontals in the 1910s (representing what he regarded as the ‘female’ principle) and verticals (signifying the ‘male’). Ultimately, by balancing these oppositional forces, he strived to achieve universal harmony in paint.

‘The Ether’ epitomises this universal harmony: a large room comprised of many vitrines of sketchbooks and studies which document the artists’ theoretical development, ‘The Ether’ takes its name from the early 19th-century view that an invisible energy connected everything visible. Reminiscent of Cecilia Alemani’s The Milk Of Dreams (Venice Biennale, 2022), in which a ‘capsule’ exhibition foregrounded the wider curatorial narrative, ‘The Ether’ is the physical and metaphorical heart of this exhibition. 

While the artists share wall space in the first half (from landscapes to microscopic depictions of botany), their paths diverge in a curatorial direction as Mondrian abandoned symbolism for neo-plasticism. The final room, aptly titled ‘The Future’, is a marvel to end on. Although poorly lit (possibly for conservation purposes), exquisite spirals, abstract geometries and botanical forms sprawl and spawn Af Klint’s ‘The Ten Largest’. It is understandable that these make such an irresistible selfie backdrop. 

Hilma Af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms Of Life is at Tate Modern, London, until Sunday 3 September.

Top picture: Piet Mondrian, Composition With Yellow, Blue And Red, 1937-42. Photo: Tate Photography