What motivates artists from all parts of the world to make works designed for children? What does it mean to be a child today? Is childhood a concluded chapter of life or rather a condition of being? These questions the Haus der Kunst in Munich tries to answer with the group exhibition For Children. Art Stories since 1968, curated by Andrea Lissoni, Emma Enderby, Lydia Korndörfer and Xue Tan, with the collaboration of Lydia Antoniou, Laila Wu, Sabine Brantl (Archive), Pia Linden and Camille Latreille (Learning and Engagement). The result of years of research, the exhibition open to the public until February 1, 2026 brings together works by more than twenty international artists created specifically for young audiences since the late 1960s. The invitation is aimed at visitors of all ages, who are called to enter into dialogue with contemporary art and each other, to reconsider the very idea of childhood.
The installation is spread across different areas of the museum, extending to the terrace overlooking the Eisbach. Here Koo Jeong A ’s sculpture invites the public to skate, while Ei Arakawa-Nash proposes drawing directly on the floor of the Mittelhalle. In the Archiv Galerie, the experience of the KEKS collective, formed in 1968 as part of the Munich Academy of Art, is recounted through never-before-seen materials that form the historical starting point of the exhibition, which unfolds throughout the Ostgalerie, Foyer, Terrassensaal and Atelier.
The exhibition addresses universal themes such as humanity, society, politics, economics, the environment, technology and the future: issues that we first encounter as children and that accompany us throughout our existence.
Until the mid-twentieth century, art aimed at young children was mainly limited to projects related to toys, construction sets or children’s furniture. Beginning in the late 1960s, however, many artists began to create works that invited children to actively participate, recognizing them as stakeholders and encouraging autonomy and a sense of responsibility. In this way, young people were increasingly considered not just privileged spectators, but true co-creators of their works.
“With this group exhibition we continue to develop new ways of making exhibitions, to question traditional narratives and look beyond the linear stereotypes of art history,” said artistic director Andrea Lissoni.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Koo Jeong A (South Korea, 1967), Agus Nur Amal PMTOH (Indonesia, 1969), Ei Arakawa-Nash (Japan, 1977), Tarek Atoui (Lebanon, 1980), Yto Barrada (France, 1971), Antoine Catala (France, 1975), Neha Choksi (USA, 1973), the DIS collective (USA, active since 2010), Ólafur Elíasson (Denmark, 1967), Harun Farocki (Czech Republic/Germany, 1944-2014), Emily Floyd (Australia, 1972), Jan Peter Hammer (Germany, 1970), KEKS collective (Germany, 1968-1972), Eva Koťátková (Czech Republic, 1982), Basim Magdy (Egypt, 1977), Ana Mendieta (Cuba/USA, 1948-1985), Meredith Monk (USA, 1942), Lygia Pape (Brazil, 1927-2004), Bruce Nauman (USA, 1941), Ernesto Neto (Brazil, 1964), Rivane Neuenschwander (Brazil, 1967), Rachel Rose (USA, 1986), Afrah Shafiq (India, 1989), and the Tromarama collective (Indonesia, active since 2006).
The initiative is realized with the support of the Beisheim Foundation, the Teiger Foundation and the Hackenberg Foundation, and with the support of the LEGO Group.
For all info: https://www.hausderkunst.de/
|
|
| At Munich's Haus der Kunst, a group exhibition to reconsider the very idea of childhood |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
