Pinakothek der Moderne

The Pinakothek der Moderne is one of the world’s largest museums of fine art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its dimensions are comparable to those of the Centre Pompidou in Paris or the Tate Modern in London. Opened in September 2002 and designed by Stephan Braunfels, the building features open and generous architecture that creates linkages and provides visitors with constantly changing and surprising insights.

Working together under one roof in the Pinakothek der Moderne are four independent institutions: the Sammlung Moderne Kunst der Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Modern Art Collection of the Bavarian State Picture Collections), the Neue Sammlung - Staatliches Museum für angewandte Kunst und Design (State Museum of Applied Arts and Design), the Architekturmuseum der Technischen Universität München (Architecture Museum of the Technical University Munich) and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung (State Graphics Collection). The supra-disciplinary focus of the Pinakothek der Moderne preserves the identity of the individual collections while at the same time presenting their inter-related parts in a wider cultural context.

On the ground floor are the showrooms of the Architekturmuseum and the Graphische Sammlung. Neither have permanent exhibitions. Instead, they change displays of works held by them every three months or so. In addition to these, there are two large rooms on the ground floor - »Temporär 1 + 2« - that are used by all four collections for changing exhibitions. The entire first floor is given over to the Sammlung Moderne Kunst. Principal works of classic modern art by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Max Beckmann and Pablo Picasso are the main focus on the Upper Floor West. Complexes of works by Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin and Gerhard Richter trace positions in art after 1960 on the Upper Floor East. Also on display here is contemporary art as represented in the video installations of Bill Viola or photographs by Andreas Gursky and Jeff Wall.

The main staircase leads directly to Room 21 where changing presentations of present-day art are shown. The narrower staircase opposite takes visitors to the beginning of the tour through the various rooms dedicated to classic Modern Art with works by the Expressionists, Cubists and Futurists.

In the basement are the showrooms of the Neue Sammlung with its design exhibits. The large display cubicles at the entrance present examples from the areas that make up the collection: products from industrial culture and the applied arts. The focus rooms are devoted to automobile design and computer culture. March 2004 saw the opening of the Danner Rotunda in the second basement with its exhibition space dedicated to contemporary jewellery.

The Pinakothek der Moderne sees itself as a forum for active dialogue. As well as being a haven for contemplation and concentration, it also acts as a platform for experimentation, where one can engage in contemporary discussions on art and try out new strategies. A multi-facetted, interdisciplinary programme of events and art appreciation enriches the interaction of the arts.