Alongside his development of a revolutionary abstract style, Vasily Kandinsky (1866-1944) demonstrated an ambition to go beyond conventional easel painting. His famous large paintings with musical and theatrical associations transformed into veritable environments. The catalogue explores the evolution of a Gesamtkunstwerk in the work of Kandinsky including essays by leading Kandinsky scholars on painting as a total work of art, or the artist's interest in music and theatre. Separated into three sections, it illustrates how Kandinsky's fascination for the Wagnerian concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk and the principles of synesthesia developed into large-scale painting within the context of the two highly significant artistic groups Blaue Reiter and Bauhaus, as well as in response to the changing historical circumstances, last but not least, culminating in his large-scale decorative utopian murals and installations. Exhibition: Neue Galerie, NYC, USA (3.10.2013-10.2.2014).