The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) today announced its exhibition highlights for 2025. The theme for the coming year is ‘Dreams of Spaces’.
Image above: Henkelschale, Herrengrund/Špania Dolina, frühes 18. Jahrhundert© Bergbau- und Gotikmuseum Leogang, Foto: Susanne Bayer
The new REINVENTING section ‘Protection – The Power of Living Together’ (from 18 January 2025) at the GRASSI Museum of Ethnology in Leipzig will kick off the exhibition. Based on Annette Korolnik-Andersch’s textile collection, which shows the protective significance of henna textiles for women from the Feija Valley in Morocco, the presentation explores how the basic human need for protection is dealt with in different regions of the world.
The Albertinum is presenting a major solo exhibition by the artist Wolfgang Tillmans (8 March – 29 June 2025) using the media of photography, video and music. The show focuses on works created over the last two years while travelling to San Francisco, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mongolia.
Following the SKD’s 2017 exhibition ‘The Dream of a King. Masterpieces from the Dresden State Art Collections’ in Seoul and Gwangju in 2017, the National Museum of Korea is now making a return visit. ‘100 Ideas of Happiness. Art Treasures from Korea’ (15.03.-17.08.2025) opens up an exciting dialogue between cultures in the parade rooms of the Dresden Residenzschloss and explores the different ideas of happiness and their forms of expression in art.
From May, the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau will be focussing on the shared European history between Estonia and Germany. The presentation ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ (8 May – 31 August 2025) takes the artistic dialogue between the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and the German painter Gerhard Richter as its starting point and uses over 140 works to tell the shared history of the two countries.
In cooperation with the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, the exhibition project ‘For All! Redesigning democracy’ (6 June – 16 November 2025) focuses on the current social desire for more participation and traditional forms of democracy. The presentation venues in Bonn and Dresden deliberately span a West-East arc and thus promote important dialogue.
In cooperation with the Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum and the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava, the Green Vault is showing the exhibition ‘Red Gold. The Miracle of Herrengrund’ (29.08.2025-25.01.2026) and focuses on the importance of mining for the treasuries and art chambers of the early modern period.
To mark the 70th birthday of William Kentridge, the Dresden State Art Collections are dedicating the exhibition festival ‘William Kentridge. Triumphs and Lamentations’ (from 6 September 2025) to the work of the South African artist at several locations, including the Puppet Theatre Collection, the Kupferstich-Kabinett and the Albertinum. The latter will show the monumental film installation ‘More Sweetly Play the Dance’ from 2015 and stage it in a direct dialogue with the over one hundred metre long drawings for the mural of the Dresden royal procession.
‘The Blue Swords – Meissen in the GDR’ (20.09.2025-22.02.2026) in the Japanisches Palais tells the story of the Meissen porcelain manufactory in the second half of the 20th century for the first time – from reconstruction after the war and partial dismantling to the end of the GDR. The focus is on the artists’ collective around Ludwig Zepner, Heinz Werner and Peter Strang, who had a particular influence on this period.
‘What you see is not what you get’ is an exhibition of the Archive of the Avant-Garde – Egidio Marzona (ADA) put together by the artist Karin Sander (03.10.2025-01.02.2026). The title comes from a group of works by Sander that plays a central role in the show and will be continued. From a contemporary perspective, documents and works of conceptual art from the archive will be brought together in the Blockhaus, positions will be called up and transferred into a new reality.
With the structural completion of the Grand Ballroom and the Proposition Hall next year, the tour of the Festeage of the Dresden Residenzschloss will be completed and the halls will be restored to their mid-19th century appearance. For the collection staging of the armoury under the title ‘Masks and crowns. Festive Culture and the Representation of Power at the Saxon Court’ (expected from November 2025), many exhibits have been extensively restored – works of art that are among the most precious testimonies to European festive culture.
‘Hercules – Hero and Antihero’ (22 November 2025-28 June 2026) is the title of the presentation in the Semperbau am Zwinger, which explores the complex mythical figure of the demigod. The special exhibition features around 100 works, including sculptures, paintings, prints and handicrafts, which illustrate the fascination with Hercules from antiquity to the present day.
Since 2006, the Gerhard Richter Archive has been collecting everything about the life and work of the artist named after him. Next year, the SKD will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the cabinet exhibition ‘20 Years of the Gerhard Richter Archive. Works, Materials, Curiosa’ at the Albertinum (13 December 2025-15 March 2026). The archive is thus reflecting on its roots and its initiator Martin Roth. Most of the exhibits have not yet been exhibited or published.
WHEN?
Protection – The power of living together:
from Saturday, 18 January 2025
Wolfgang Tillmans:
Saturday, 08 March – Sunday, 29 June 2025
100 Ideas of Happiness. Art treasures from Korea:
Saturday, 15 March – Saturday, 17 August 2025
Mirror in the Mirror:
Thursday, 08 May – Saturday, 31 August 2025
For everyone! Redesigning Democracy:
Friday, 06 June – Saturday, 16 November 2025
Red Gold. The miracle of Herrengrund:
Friday, 29 August 2025 – Sunday, 25 January 2026
William Kentridge. Triumphs and Lamentations:
from Saturday, 06 September 2025
The Blue Swords – Meissen in the GDR:
Saturday, 20 August 2025 – Sunday, 22 February 2026
What You See Is Not What You Get,Karin Sander:
Friday, 03 October 2025 – Sunday, 01 February 2026
Masks and crowns. Festive culture and the representation of power at the Saxon court:
planned for November 2025
Hercules – hero and anti-hero:
Saturday, 22 November 2025 – Sunday, 28 June 2026
20 years of the Gerhard Richter Archive. Works, materials, curiosities:
Saturday, 13 December 2025 – Sunday, 15 March 2026
WHERE?
SKD | Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Taschenberg 2
01067 Dresden
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