For 70 years, state-commissioned art has enriched our everyday lives. Art in architecture can be found in almost all federal, state and municipal institutions, yet only very few works are generally known. The travelling exhibition “70 Jahre Kunst am Bau in Deutschland” (70 years of art in architecture in Germany) presents almost 60 works at the MK&G – including sculptures, wall works, installations and plaza designs. The works are by well-known artists such as Hans Haacke, Jenny Holzer, Rebecca Horn, Per Kirkeby, Sighard Gille and Walter Womacka. They were created for federal buildings, embassies and authorities, as well as educational, research and scientific institutions in both parts of the republic and reflect the historical and political development of Germany. The selection is complemented by a series of Hamburg projects that were created in building-related contexts, for example works by Barabara Haeger, François Morellet, A. R. Penck, Sigrid Sandmann and Gustav Seitz.

A rich accompanying programme has been developed with events and guided tours to open the eyes to the quality and diversity of art in the architectural context.

The exhibition “70 Jahre Kunst am Bau in Deutschland” (70 years of art in architecture in Germany) was commissioned by the Bundesbauministeriums and developed by the Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning) in collaboration with Bureau schmedding.vonmarlin and Studio Krimm. It has been touring Germany as a travelling exhibition since 2021 and has now been shown in eleven federal states.