Around 1900, young visionary artists in Munich embarked on a mission to revolutionize art and reimagine life itself. Amid rapid scientific and technological innovation and sweeping social change, they joined the search for a more equitable and sustainable way of living. Artists like Richard Riemerschmid, Hermann Obrist, and Margarethe von Brauchitsch rejected historical precedent to forge a new artistic language—one that would infuse every aspect of life, down to the smallest detail. Their pioneering ideas and designs laid the groundwork for modern art and design as we know it. Featuring over 400 works spanning painting, graphic design, sculpture, photography, design, and fashion, this exhibition explores Munich's pivotal role as the birthplace of Art Nouveau in Germany and reveals how urgently relevant those early conversations about how we should live remain today.

By the late 19th century, Munich's standing as an open-minded cultural capital with world-class institutions for artistic education and exhibition had become a magnet for creative talents across Europe. It was in this innovative atmosphere that the magazine Jugend launched in 1896, casting its net across every facet of contemporary life. The publication would soon lend its name to an entire artistic movement. The magazine's distinctive, richly illustrated covers—each reimagined in fresh styles by Richard Riemerschmid, Bruno Paul, Hans Christiansen, and others—reveal that Art Nouveau was far from monolithic. Rather, these works demonstrate how artists of the era grappled with the defining questions of their time through diverse aesthetic approaches. Art Nouveau. Made in Munich explores this phenomenon across ten chapters, tracing the pivotal ideas and creative sources that shaped the distinctive styles of artists trained and working in Munich. Threading through the exhibition are themes that defined the era: gender equality, living harmoniously with nature, and making art and culture accessible to all.

Designer and artist Bodo Sperlein's exhibition design draws an elegant through-line to contemporary craft, channeling the spirit of Art Nouveau itself. His approach presents each work on display with a distinctly modern sensibility. The exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Kunsthalle München and the Münchner Stadtmuseum, home to one of the world's most significant Art Nouveau collections. The museum's comprehensive renovation provides a rare opportunity to showcase this remarkable collection in its fullest scope.

www.kunsthalle-muc.de