Armin Mueller-Stahl opens retrospective at Opelvillen
At 95 years old, German actor and artist Armin Mueller-Stahl is opening a major retrospective titled “Nacht und Tag auf der Erde” at the Opelvillen in Rüsselsheim, running from October 18, 2026, through April 4, 2027, showcasing more than 100 paintings, drawings, and print graphics that document his life outside of filmmaking.
From Screen Icons to Canvas and Music
Mueller-Stahl holds the distinction of being a German acting giant who achieved major success in the German Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Hollywood. Rather than stepping back from creative work, he follows a strict artistic progression. As he described his output, where acting stops, writing begins; where writing stops, painting begins; and where painting stops, music begins. Born in Tilsit, the multi-talented artist has described having “flight moments” when drawing, explaining that as an actor one is trapped in texts and staging, whereas drawing offers a sense of flying.
His cinematic milestones include an Academy Award nomination for playing a strict father in the drama Shine and portraying Nobel laureate Thomas Mann in the television epic The Manns – Our Century. His career also includes being committed to the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm by Helene Weigel, playing at the Volksbühne, and moving to the West in 1980 after signing a protest against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann. He worked with directors like Rainer Werner Fassbinder in Lola, Alexander Kluge, Herbert Achternbusch, the consul role in Buddenbrooks, Jim Jarmusch in Night on Earth—borrowing the film’s title for his current exhibition—as well as Volker Schlöndorff, David Cronenberg, and Terrence Malick.
Opelvillen Exhibition Showcases Mueller-Stahl Screenplays and Documentary
The exhibition at the Opelvillen, previously shown at the Kunsthalle Emden and Museum Schloss Moyland where it drew more than 15,000 visitors, features expressionistically painted screenplays that reveal his daily creative process. Curator Beate Kemfert noted that Mueller-Stahl draws daily every morning, frequently using sketchbooks and scripts, while curator Antje-Britt Mählmann emphasized that artistic work remains essential to his well-being. Accompanying the exhibition, a 90-minute documentary film about his life is scheduled to be shown at the venue on November 24 at 18:30, and the exhibition catalog is available for 28 euro.
Additional sections of the exhibition include works addressing terror attacks in Paris, Nice, London, New York, and Berlin under the title “Allegro Furioso”, and portraits of Jewish personalities with whom Mueller-Stahl maintains close friendships—reflecting his deep gratitude for being allowed to portray a Jewish man in film as a German from the war generation. Upstairs, visitors find dark, grey-toned paintings depicting characters from the 2009 film Illuminati, where he played Cardinal Strauss, including a depiction of the Camerlengo in twilight.
Daily Routine and Family Life at 95
He lives on the Baltic coast with his wife of over fifty years, dermatologist Gabriele Scholz, and their son Christian, maintaining a daily routine focused on health and art.
“Ich bin einer der seltenen Ausserirdischen, die eine glückliche Ehe führen”, Mueller-Stahl told the Swiss publication GlücksPost.