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Stories of Generosity and Voilence in Architecture 

This exhibition features gifted buildings—from spectacular to mundane, from extravagant to genuinely useful—that show how the unequal relationship between the giver and the receiver results in both generosity and violence exerted by and through architecture. What are the benefits of an architectural gift and how may it cause harm? We document how the giving and receiving of architecture impacts the production of these buildings, including their program, design, and materiality, as well as labor relations on the construction site. We consider the economic gains and political influence of the donors. We explore whether architectural gifts require reciprocity, and if so, what constitutes a counter-gift. We wonder if the obligations of the receiver and the giver persist after a building’s completion. What is the afterlife of a gifted building, and how is it perceived, maintained, and used by local communities?

Working with local researchers and communities, and using storytelling as a method, we present case studies on four continents to explore the generosity and violence of the gift-giving dynamic. These include stories of humanitarian gifts for Skopje, North Macedonia; the gift of land in Kumasi, Ghana; diplomatic gifts for Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and philanthropic gifts in East Palo Alto, California, USA. At the end of the exhibition, we turn to Germany, showing how philanthropy continues to shape Munich and other German cities today.

Curated by Łukasz Stanek, Professor at the University of Michigan and Damjan Kokalevski Curator at A.M. der TUM

29.02.2024 - 08.09.2024

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Maximilian Kirmse's pictorial worlds tell of a casual Berlin rhythm of life without having to resort to grand dramas or invent absurd motifs. Far removed from big city tourist fantasies, the drawings and paintings capture the unagitated life in his neighborhood. His scenes always seem to be observed from a neutral distance, so that they can neither be seen as "Milljöh" studies nor as a chronicle of a big city. Without respect for academic traditions and the oppressive notion of progress of the avant-garde principle, Maximilian Kirmse's work brings together stylistic and aesthetic elements of "high" and "low" culture in a completely unforced manner.

The curatorial idea of Berlin Mon Amour also places Maximilian Kirmse as an artist in the tradition of those who succumbed to Berlin's cool charm throughout the 20th century. These include Max Beckmann, Georg Grosz, Jeanne Mammen and Anne Imhof. In this respect, the exhibition title is also an homage. The concentrated selection of individual works from a large abundance of Berlin-related works from the holdings of the Graphische Sammlung confirms that Berlin has always been something more than what one thought one knew at a specific moment in time.

Curated by Dr. Michael Hering 

Supported by PIN. Freunde der Pinakothek der Moderne e. V. 

08.02.2024 until 05.05.2024

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TYPE IS IMAGE

This summer, the successful graphic designer Paula Scher has her first solo exhibition in Germany. "Paula Scher: Type is Image" is the exhibition title, which already points to her unified line of focus and central integration of typography in her works. Diverse, on the other hand, are the media that playfully find their individual place in the Paternoster Hall. Among them are record covers of well-known bands, commissions from large companies, and building designs. On the occasion of the exhibition opening, the graphic designer herself was on site, reporting on works that were particularly close to her heart or what distinguishes identity design. 

Curated by Dr. Caroline Fuchs. Sponsored by PIN. Friends of the Pinakothek der Moderne.

June 23 - September 22, 2024

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Pinakothek der Moderne, the curators of the Sammlung Moderne Kunst are jointly conceiving the new hanging of the collection under the title MIX & MATCH. This presentation, characterized by curiosity and the joy of experimentation, breaks away from the historical sequence of styles and invites visitors to rediscover the collection in thematic rooms and unconventional juxtapositions that transcend epochs and media. Starting with key works from the fields of painting, sculpture, photography, video art, installation, and graphic art, themes relevant to 21st-century society such as community, migration, work, the environment, or violence and conflict are illuminated. Some 300 works and serial pieces spanning 120 years of art history are on view in 25 rooms covering more than 3,500 square feet. Featuring works by Etel Adnan, Max Beckmann, Aenne Biermann, David Claerbout, Peter Doig, Katharina Grosse, On Kawara, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Maria Lassnig, Albert Renger-Patzsch and Jeff Wall, among others.

Due to the extent of the renovations to 3,600 square meters of exhibition space, the themed rooms will be opened in stages. A first section can be visited from the end of March. We will celebrate the opening of all 25 rooms as part of the 20th anniversary of the Pinakothek der Moderne on the evening of September 14, 2022. We look forward to your visit!

15.09.2022 - 31.12.2024

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