Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

In 1987, Rauschenberg told the art historian Barbara Rose: “I want my paintings to be reflections of life, and life can’t be stopped.”

Don’t miss your chance to see “Collection in Focus | Robert Rauschenberg: Life Can’t Be Stopped” , now in its last week. In celebration of Rauschenberg’s centennial, the exhibition brings together works from across Rauschenberg’s career to demonstrate his relentless pursuit of experimentation. It also celebrates the artist’s long history with the Guggenheim. In 1997, the museum presented a landmark retrospective exhibition of his work which then traveled to in Bilbao. For this second venue, Rauschenberg created a painting-–featuring transferred imagery from his own photographs taken in Bilbao—to be included in the show. “Bilbao Scraps [Anagram (A Pun)]” celebrates this history as it is included in the current exhibition at the museum, along with several other paintings that were also included in the 1997 retrospective. In fact, the current show is organized by the Guggenheim’s Joan Young, who also worked on Rauschenberg’s show back in 1997!

Swipe to see some now and then shots of the artworks in the exhibition, and don’t miss your chance to see them in person. The show will be open through Sunday, May 3rd.

Image 1: Installation view, “Collection in Focus | Robert Rauschenberg: Life Can’t Be Stopped,” October 10, 2025–May 3, 2026, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Photo: Ariel Ione Williams © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York

Image 2: Rauschenberg, "Bilbao Scraps [Anagram (A Pun)]," 1997

Image 3: Installation view, 2026. Photo: Williams

Image 4: Installation view of "Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective" exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1997

Image 5: Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled, 1963

Image 6: Installation view, 1997

Opening tomorrow: Robert Rauschenberg’s first retrospective in Austria!

“Robert Rauschenberg: Image and Gesture” at .krems highlights the interplay between photographic imagery and gestural painting across Rauschenberg’s career. Featuring early examples of the artist’s Combines (1954–64), Silkscreen Paintings (1962–64), and transfer drawings (1952/1958-69), alongside mature examples from the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI) project of 1984–91, paintings on metal and sculptures of assembled metal from the 1980s and 1990s, the exhibition culminates with Rauschenberg’s innovative inkjet transfer technique from the 1990s and early 2000s. The exhibition will also feature two monumentally scaled works: “Bank Job (Spread)” from 1979 and “Ten Yard Sale [Anagram (A Pun)]” from two decades later (1999). True to its title, the latter work is just one foot shy of ten yards long.

Image 1: Robert Rauschenberg’s Combine “Vitamin,” 1960/1968. Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

Image 2: Rauschenberg’s Silkscreen Painting “Tree Frog,” 1964. Museum Ludwig, Cologne

Image 3: Rauschenberg’s transfer drawing, Untitled, 1968. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

Image 4: Rauschenberg, “Bank Job (Spread),” 1979. Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

Image 5: Rauschenberg, “Onoto Snare / ROCI VENEZUELA,” 1985. Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Image 6: Rauschenberg, “Crawfish Village Summer Glut I,” 1987. The Heidi Horten Collection

Image 7: Rauschenberg, “Ten Yard Sale [Anagram (A Pun)],” 1999. Private collection