The upcoming exhibition is dedicated to the important American artist Mel Ramos (1935–2018) and his iconic depictions of women that straddle the line between subtle eroticism, sophisticated humor, and the visuality of consumer culture. As one of the key figures in American Pop Art, Ramos combined a glamour pin-up aesthetic with motifs drawn from advertising and the world of brands, creating works that are both provocative and playfully ironic.

His paintings reflect contemporary ideals, desire and the staging of the body in an era of mass media. With technical precision and characteristic ease, Ramos has developed a distinctive visual language that has secured him a firm place in the context of American postwar art.

The body of work on view includes ten canvases from major private collections and thirty works on paper that together offer a multilayered view of his oeuvre. From meticulously composed paintings to rarely exhibited prints, the exhibition opens up a comprehensive and compelling view of the breadth of his artistic practice.

Girls on My Mind is not only Ramos' first solo exhibition in Eastern Europe, but also a curated presentation with an international reach. It invites viewers to re-read his work – free from simplistic labels such as sexism or kitsch – and to place it in a broader art historical context. Ramos's work is represented in leading institutions around the world, including the Albertina in Vienna and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.