The National Museums in Berlin are presenting their annual program for 2026, providing a comprehensive overview of upcoming exhibitions and projects at their institutions. The diverse program includes presentations at the Gemäldegalerie, the Kunstbibliothek, the Kunstgewerbemuseum, the Kupferstichkabinett, the Museum für Fotografie, and Köpenick Palace, reflecting the breadth of their collections from Old Masters to photography and applied arts.
Image above: Giovanni Cariani, Portrait of an astronomer, circa 1520, 91,9 x 82,1 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Kat.Nr. 2201, Foto: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Kulturforum Berlin | Gemäldegalerie
Gallery Looks. Fashion displays in the Gemäldegalerie
30. January – 31. May 2026
An exhibition by the Gemäldegalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Picture Gallery – National Museums in Berlin), the exhibition “Gallery Looks” explores the encounter between art of the past and contemporary fashion – in design, photography, film, and haute couture. The current fashion presentations reflect and reinterpret the stylistic devices, compositions, and poses used by the Old Masters. Diverse artistic approaches reveal how colors, materials, and narratives are reflected in various media and interwoven into contemporary storylines. Alongside fashion photographs and video works, the exhibition also features designs by contemporary designers who engage in dialogue with selected works from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, creating connections between artistic tradition and current design.
Kulturforum Berlin | Ausstellunghalle
Scissors–Style–Paper. Lettegrafik x Johanna Beckmann
23. January – 1. March 2026
An exhibition by the Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in cooperation with the Lette Verein Berlin How much design potential is there in scissors and paper? For the exhibition, students at the Lette Verein Berlin are responding creatively to historical paper cutouts by Johanna Beckmann (1868–1941) from the Kunstbibliothek collection. The entire spectrum of graphic media and techniques is on display: from screen-printed posters, cyanotypes, typography, illustration, and digital works to book and moving image projects. Beckmann’s art is characterized by clear forms, strong contrasts, and plenty of room for imagination; the works are inspired by the magic of nature—a theme that also connects past and present in the exhibition “Scissors–Style–Paper.”
Kulturforum Berlin | Kupferstichkabinett
Bosporus Beats. Views of Istanbul from 1500 to 1800
13. February – 31. May 2026
An exhibition by the Kupferstichkabinett – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The cosmopolitan city of Istanbul and its inhabitants are the focus of this exhibition. Fascinating drawings and prints illustrate the diverse connections between Central Europe and the metropolis on the Bosporus. The exhibition spans the period from the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Prussia by the first Turkish embassy in Berlin in 1763. Works by world-famous artists such as Pollaiuolo, Dürer, Coecke van Aelst, Rembrandt, Liotard, and Chodowiecki paint a complex picture: some reflect on the significance of art and music, demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm, while others serve propaganda interests and spread prejudice. Contemporary artistic positions complement the selection of works with reflections on questions of identity and stereotypes.
Kulturforum Berlin | Kunstgewerbemuseum
Jerszy Seymour: Mutuogenesis
5. March – 3. May 2026
An exhibition by the Museum of Decorative Arts – Berlin State Museums in cooperation with S27 – Art and Education. Association for the Promotion of Intercultural Youth Work e.V. “Mutuogenesis” is a living social sculpture as an exhibition and prototype of a new form of life, learning, production, and community, whose core is social and ecological justice. The collaboration between artist and designer Jerszy Seymour and the international, young community of S27 – Art and Education takes place between the Neukölln co-lab “Lucky Garage” in the Falscher Fisch district center and the Museum of Decorative Arts. The collaborative work creates an immersive, multicolored, mutagenic environment made from recycled materials that offers all the functions of life and sets the stage for a program of lectures, performances, and interventions by a diverse range of artists, designers, and activists.
Museum für Fotografie
New woman, new vision. The Bauhaus female photographers
17. April – 4. October 2026
An exhibition by the Bauhaus Archive | Museum of Design in cooperation with the Art Library – Berlin State Museums The female photographers at the Bauhaus experimented with photographic and design techniques, exploring the limits of their medium. They observed their surroundings through the camera lens and captured numerous motifs, some from new and unusual perspectives. The spectrum of their artistic work ranges from representational portrait and architectural photography to abstract experimental photography. Many of the motifs are familiar today, but few people know their creators. With this exhibition, the Bauhaus Archive is now paying comprehensive tribute to the importance of these artists and their photographic work for the first time.
Schloss Köpenick
Pewter from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau
24. April – 4. October 2026
An exhibition by the Museum of Decorative Arts – Berlin State Museums Tin objects are an integral part of European cultural history and widely used in decorative arts, yet they have largely fallen into oblivion. The Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts is showing a special exhibition at its branch in Köpenick Palace that traces the use of pewter from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau. Around 100 works of art illustrate not only the development from sacred objects to everyday items, but also the complicated use of the material in furniture making. The exhibition title refers to the cabinetmaker Joh. Daniel Sommer, who worked in Künzelsau, Württemberg, at the end of the 17th century. In his furniture, tortoiseshell, horn, and pewter are combined to create a decorative effect reminiscent of painting and goldsmithing.
Kulturforum Berlin | Ausstellungshalle
Many Shades of Grès
15. May – 11. October 2026
An exhibition by the Museum of Decorative Arts – Berlin State Museums in cooperation with the School of Culture and Design at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences For the first time in the German-speaking world, the work of French fashion designer Madame Grès (1903–1993), considered one of the most important pioneers of haute couture in the 20th century, is being highlighted. The Museum of Decorative Arts owns 24 sensational outfits from the 1940s to the 1980s, which are juxtaposed with creations by students as the result of in-depth research with the original models. Grès’ designs reflect a constant engagement with art and culture. The fashion designer became famous in the 1930s for her floor-length, pleated dresses, which were inspired by ancient sculptures. This aspect is highlighted in the confrontation with exhibits from the Museum of Antiquities.
Kulturforum Berlin | Eingangshalle
100 Best Posters 25. Germany, Austria, Switzerland
12. June – 5. July 2026
An exhibition by the Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in cooperation with 100 Beste Plakate e. V. The exhibition accompanying the competition “100 Best Posters. Germany Austria Switzerland” presents the latest in graphic design every year. The winning posters from 2024 will be on display at the Kulturforum for three weeks before going on a worldwide tour.
Kulturforum Berlin | Kunstgewerbemuseum
Sofie Dawo. Textile Experiments
18. August 2026 – 17. January 2027
An exhibition by the Museum of Decorative Arts – Berlin State Museums Born in Saarland in 1926, textile artist Sofie Dawo left behind a small but extremely significant body of work, examples of which are presented here. Her textile works are independent pictorial artworks whose production processes are inscribed in the object using the specific material. Dawo deliberately factored in the unpredictable, what she called “emerging surprises.” Her textile experiments are free of any function or application and defy clear classification into the categories of art or craft – they stand on their own.
Kulturforum Berlin | Kupferstichkabinett
Rubens, Jordaens, van Dyck. Flemish master drawings
10. October 2026 – 31. January 2027
An exhibition by the Kupferstichkabinett – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The exhibition presents a selection of around 100 Flemish Baroque drawings from the Kupferstichkabinett collection. The focus is on outstanding works by Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, and Anton van Dyck. These are complemented by drawings by lesser-known masters such as Lucas van Uden, Pieter de Jode, and Abraham van Diepenbeeck. The period between 1580 and 1660 was marked by ongoing conflicts between the European powers on the one hand and the religious camps on the other, as well as by the emergence of a global trading network. In this crisis-ridden era, Antwerp developed into the most important European trading center and a hotspot for art production in the late 16th century. The works on display were created in preparation for a work to be executed: in addition to initial sketches, powerful figure studies, colored designs for tapestries, and preliminary drawings for paintings will be on display. The drawings thus provide direct insights into the creative process and illustrate the unexpected diversity of Flemish art.
Kulturforum Berlin | Gemäldegalerie
Portraits! Surprising encounters from Botticelli to Lempicka
16. October 2026 – 14. March 2027
An exhibition by the Gemäldegalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Drawing on its own outstanding holdings, the Gemäldegalerie combines portraits from the 15th to the 20th century and from different European regions. Works that have never been seen together before enter into surprising dialogues with one another. Masterpieces by Dürer and Giorgione, Rubens and Gainsborough, or Titian and Therbusch are juxtaposed. They tell of self-image and status, of emotions and staging. Five exhibition chapters examine various forms and functions of portraiture, ranging from representation in official portraits to intimacy in images of close relatives. The pairings reveal striking similarities, bring the works to life in new ways, and raise questions about external and self-perception, image, role, similarity, and character.
Kulturforum Berlin| Kunstgewerbemuseum
World of Colours – 100 years Verner Panton
14. November 2026 – 23. May 2027
An exhibition by the Museum of Decorative Arts – Berlin State Museums Few people have revolutionized the concept of living as fundamentally as Danish designer and architect Verner Panton (1926–1998). His iconic furniture embodies an attitude to life that is inextricably linked to the dawn of the 1960s. His living environments are a sensual overall experience, ranging from carpets and furniture to ceilings and lighting design. His joy in experimenting with innovative plastics opened up design possibilities that were previously unimaginable. Synthetic materials instead of wood, chrome-plated steel instead of veneer, exciting and flexible instead of quiet and rigid. Panton’s approach was a break with tradition and an unconditional commitment to progress. With over 100 exhibits, the exhibition marking the designer’s 100th birthday invites visitors to immerse themselves with all their senses in a utopian world of shapes, colors, and design.
Foto: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum / Stephan Klonk © Verner Panton Design AG
Kulturforum Berlin| Ausstellungshalle
„Bizarr“ – A crazy word makes art history
27. November 2026 – 29. March 2027
An exhibition by the Art Library – Berlin State Museums From the 15th century to the present day, “bizarre” has been the ultimate term for realities that radically challenge the order of the world: mental states of emergency, dreams, ornamental growths, monsters, hair-raising situations, physical anomalies, but also daring ideas and ingenious creations. The exhibition “Bizarre!” explores for the first time the career of the term from the world of books and images of the Renaissance to the cosmologies of the 21st century. On display are unique drawn and printed image ideas from the treasure troves of the Art Library, as well as masterpieces from the Picture Gallery and the Kupferstichkabinett. A journey into the historical cosmos of one of the craziest words in the world!
Museum für Fotografie
Materialities of Photography / Photography Matters (AT)
4. December 2026 – 18. April 2027
An exhibition by the Art Library – Berlin State Museums Photography can amaze us, make us doubt or believe. It is not only the motif that plays a role here, but also the materiality of the photograph. Whether on glass, paper, or screen, every manifestation of the medium influences our perception. Digital processes and the use of artificial intelligence are increasingly calling into question the object character of photography. What defines a photograph, what does it consist of? The Art Library’s photography collection contains a wide variety of different photographic objects whose histories and reception are subject to constant change. Based on a material history of photography, the exhibition addresses aspects of technology, memory, and knowledge culture, spanning from the medium’s beginnings to the present day.
