WE/trans/FORM
On the Future of Building
6 June 2025 to 25 January 2026
The Bundeskunsthalle has designated 2025 the year of sustainability and ecological change. Central to the programme is an international exhibition and networking project on sustainable architecture and urban development in Europe. The exhibition invites visitors to take an active interest in the future of our built environment. The focus is on key practices such as the regeneration of existing buildings, climate-resilient answers to the challenge of extreme weather events, the promotion of biodiversity, circular recycling and the development of models for the future.
Among the projects on show will be those that deal with rising water levels on the coasts of the Netherlands, such as that of the architecture firm MVRDV (Rotterdam), or with the drought in Spain, such as that of the Office for Political Innovation (Madrid). New buildings constructed from natural materials such as rammed earth, for example by Anna Heringer (Laufen), or wood by Avanto Architects (Helsinki) will be presented, as will conversions of existing buildings. Innovative research projects such as NEST UMAR (Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies / Urban Mining and Recycling) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology or the Hybrid Flax Pavilion by the University of Stuttgart explore new approaches to circular material cycles and computer-based construction methods.
An initiative of the Bundeskunsthalle in partnership with the New European Bauhaus and tranform.NRW.
W.I.M.
The Art of Seeing
1 August 2025 to 11 January 2026
On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the Bundeskunsthalle is dedicating a large, immersive and visually powerful exhibition to the filmmaker and artist Wim Wenders, which is being conceived together with the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum.
The internationally acclaimed filmmaker and artist became famous with films such as The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1972) and Wrong Move (1975), both based on works by Peter Handke, Alice in the Cities (1973/1974) and The American Friend (1977), based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. Other cinematic milestones include Paris, Texas, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 1984, and Wings of Desire (1987). He received an Oscar nomination and the European Film Award for Buena Vista Social Club (1999). In 2024, Perfect Days (2023) was nominated for an Oscar and celebrated as the best film in the Asia-Pacific region.
Wim Wenders is also renowned for his sensitive documentaries about fellow artists, among them Pina (2011) and, most recently, Anselm (2023) shot in 3D. The exhibition sets out to focus not only on his innovative cinematography but to present it alongside a survey of his wider creative output. This includes his photographs, collages and drawings, as well as his extensive personal film library, posters and his ‘electronic paintings’. Storyboards, props and behind-the-scenes material, inspiration drawn from art and music and, as a special highlight, a large immersive cinematographic installation with state-of-the-art image and sound technology invite visitors to immerse themselves in Wenders’ cinematic oeuvre. In the audio guide, Wim Wenders himself takes visitors through the exhibition and offers insight into the context and background of the exhibits.
An exhibition of the Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, in co-operation with the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main, the Wim Wenders Stiftung, Düsseldorf, Wenders Images, Berlin and with the kind support of Road Movies, Berlin.
Expedition to the World's Oceans
2 October 2025 to 6 April 2026
Approximately 70 % of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, of which 96.5 % is seawater. The oceans are thought to be the source of all life on earth. They provide raw materials, energy, food, transport routes and function as a climate machine. Humans have been using the ocean as a global highway for 4,000 years, so it seems almost paradoxical that today we know more about the surfaces of the Moon and Mars than about the world’s oceans, only 5 % of whose depths have been explored.
The complexity of the theme of the world’s oceans means that it can be approached from many different perspectives and angles. Taking a cultural, historical and scientific approach, our immersive exhibition focuses on the exciting and pleasurable exploration and investigation of different facets of maritime worlds and their processes of transformation. The exhibition concentrates on three main subjects: The deep sea with its mysterious habitats and fragile ecosystem, the oceans as a contested economic space and the basis for globalisation and, finally, the oceans as a place of longing and a space for the transfer of people and ideas. These mysterious realms have always inspired creative and enquiring minds: alongside objects from the realms of nature, science and technology, a selection of historical artefacts and works of contemporary art sheds light on the endangered beauty of maritime flora and fauna and encourages reflection on the colourful and chequered history of man and the sea.
Federal Prize for Art Students
6 November 2025 to 4 January 2026
The Federal Prize for Art Students is awarded every two years by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and is aimed at students of the 25 German art academies that are members of the Kunsthochschulenkonferenz. Each academy submits two nominations, from which an independent jury then selects up to eight positions.
The Federal Prize for Art Students was established in 1983 under the title Kunststudenten stellen aus (Art Students Exhibit) and has been accompanied by an exhibition at the Bundeskunsthalle since 1994. The prize is considered one of the most important awards for young artists in Germany.
Programme 2026
What unites us. Dimensions of social sustainability – this is the Bundeskunsthalle's 2026 theme.
Following its year of ecological sustainability, the museum is placing social responsibility at the center of its programming and exploring how art, education, cultural exchange, and social dialogue can contribute to a mutually beneficial coexistence.
Peter Hujar
Eyes Open in the Dark
27 February to 23 August 2026
The 2026 exhibition year begins with an exhibition on one of New York's most important photographers, Peter Hujar, who was celebrated for the empathy and warmth of his images, yet was little known during his lifetime. Hujar's primary interest was portrait photography, photographing himself, his friends, and residents of New York's downtown queer scene, but he also turned his attention to animals, architecture, and landscapes.
Amazônia
Indigenous Worlds
13 March to 9 August 2026
Amazônia. Indigenous Worlds gives a voice to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region and offers a new perspective on this region, often reduced to the cliché of an exotic society disconnected from the contemporary world. Yet Amazonia is a vibrant whole of dense networks, intercultural exchange, and expanded sociability among hundreds of indigenous peoples. The exhibition, with its approximately 400 exhibits, focuses on the concepts of creation, community, and future perspectives from the perspective of the inhabitants.
Sex Work
A Cultural History
2 April to 25 October 2026
The history of sex work can be traced from antiquity to the present day. The prevailing image of humanity, the values that held sway, and who wielded power can all be seen in how society dealt with sex work. In some periods, sex work represented one of the few ways for women to generate an independent income. For a long time, hetaerae, prostitutes, courtesans, and nude dancers primarily played a motif role in the visual arts, at best perceived as muses. The fact that they also play a creative, artistic role is a perspective that is highlighted here. Together with a collective of researching sex workers, the Bundeskunsthalle presents art, cultural history, and archival material, guided by a central principle: Nothing about us without us!
Interactions 2026
1 May to 1 November 2026
Interactions 2026 will once again feature selected artworks and performances that invite visitors to engage in interactive play in the outdoor space of the Bundeskunsthalle. All works and projects contain their own narrative or vision, which visitors can explore alongside the interaction. They demonstrate that openness serves both individual and collective experience and promotes togetherness, tolerance, and sensitivity.
“Social Fabric”
55 Years of the Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany
12 June to 4 October 2026
In keeping with tradition, the Bundeskunsthalle has been presenting a representative cross-section of contemporary, sometimes very young, art production since 1995 with works from the Federal Republic's collection. With "Social Fabric," 55 Years of the Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany, the entire collection spanning several decades is made visible in all its heterogeneity. This exhibition also reflects the annual theme: How are responsibility towards society, equal opportunities, equal rights, respect for human rights, and social justice—alongside the implicit questions of identity – reflected in artistic practice?
NEVER AGAIN!
Against Forgetting the Crimes of the Nazi Era
9 October 2026 to 2 May 2027
The Cultural Autumn opens with a topic that couldn't be more urgent. What is the state of the culture of remembrance and the politics of remembrance in Germany? In the coming years, there will be hardly any Holocaust survivors and other victims of the Nazi regime left to recount their experiences. But they leave behind their testimonies in books, recordings, films, and their own works of art. NEVER AGAIN! Against Forgetting the Crimes of the Nazi Era is dedicated to the changing culture of remembrance with regard to the crimes of National Socialism. The exhibition explores various methods of remembrance, primarily through the medium of art and digital media, as well as historical evidence and objects.
Latin American Female Artists
From Frida Kahlo Until Today
4 December 2026 to 29 March 2027
The Bundeskunsthalle is entering the final stretch of the year with a major survey exhibition that, for the first time in Europe, brings together key works by more than 60 female artists from Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina. Latin American Female Artists. From Frida Kahlo Until Today spans more than a century, uniting famous female artists with those who have been forgotten over the decades. The exhibition explores these distinctive artistic languages, including their significance for cultural identities and processes of (female) self-empowerment.
