Exhibitions in Munich: Preview of the Pinakothek der Moderne – Munich

When the directors of the four museums gather under the roof of the Pinakothek der Moderne to give an overview of the annual programme, it is quite an impressive line-up. The exciting question is how impressive the content is. In terms of quantity, this year’s program falls behind the pre-pandemic years. Measured by the quality, it is quite impressive.

The director of the Architecture Museum, Andres Lepik, presented what was probably the most promising. The issues discussed there are among the most urgent of the time – both regionally and globally. There is the show by architect Marina Tabassum from Bangladesh. The country on the Bay of Bengal with its approximately 170 million inhabitants is threatened by flooding due to global warming – and thus by hunger, epidemics and homelessness. Mobile construction is therefore one of the topics. This is also evidenced by the traditional house that has already been built under the museum’s canopy.

The exhibition “The Hospital. How Architecture Helps Heal” also deals with an acute problem of our society, which – as one felt especially during the pandemic – is dependent on a health system that works at all levels. And then there is Alfredo Jaar’s rotunda project, which will deal with a refugee issue, Lepik didn’t want to reveal more about it.

290,000 visitors came last year

When it comes to modern art, Collection Director Oliver Kase and his colleagues often work from within the existing collection. The three “Collection+” projects are framed by two major exhibitions: the ongoing Beckmann show, which has attracted 32,000 visitors since the end of November and whose catalog is now available. And the “Glitch” exhibition, which will only start in December, and which deals with how art deals with malfunctions and disruptions – from distorted images to pixel structures to cracked smartphone displays. Sounds pretty fresh and exciting. Kase called it “a pioneering project”.

In terms of design, the big bicycle exhibition will run until autumn – Angelika Nollert also promises a diverse accompanying programme. In the spring, as always, jewelry can be seen, in the summer the New Collection gives an insight into “Textile Worlds”, and shortly afterwards the graphic designer Paula Scher will come to the Pinakothek der Moderne.

Michael Hering also has four exhibitions planned for the Graphic Collection: drawings, performative photos and sculptures by the sculptor Tony Cragg, a major project by the Japanese artist Rei Naito, a Baselitz show in connection with his 85th birthday and a declaration of love by Kiki Smith: “From My Heart”.

With 290,000 visitors last year, the Pinakothek der Moderne is far from having reached the pre-pandemic level, but there is an upward trend. The fact that school classes and art education are gradually returning also spreads confidence for 2023.

source site