Berlin is a place of constant flux and negotiation, where artistic, political and migrant trajectories intersect. To mark its 30th anniversary, the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart will present, from 12 June 2026, a new exhibition of works from its collection exploring the Berlin art scene in a global dialogue from 1989 to the present day. Over 70 works by more than 50 artists, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and video installations, reflect Berlin’s myth of hedonism and subculture within an international context.
Image above: Katharina Sieverding, Germany is becoming more German, 1992 © the artist / Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Jacopo La Forgia / VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2025
Berlin is associated with the city’s historical division, competing narratives and the complexity of diverse affiliations. Art created in Berlin simultaneously reflects global political events. International artists living and working here transform Berlin into a microcosm of global political movements and crises. This interplay between art and the city is the focus of the new exhibition, featuring works by Cemile Sahin, Katharina Grosse, Mona Hatoum, Pierre Huyghe, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Katharina Sieverding, Thomas Struth, Danh Vo, Cosima von Bonin and many more.
Rirkrit Tiravanija, untitled 2010 (All the Days on the Autobahn), 2010, Exhibition view “Local Histories”, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart 2018-2019
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie / Courtesy the artist / Photo: Thomas Bruns
For its new exhibition, the Hamburger Bahnhof is continuing its long-standing collaboration with the Federal Art Collection. The exhibition is further enhanced by a series of new acquisitions. Well-known major works by Robert Rauschenberg and Isa Genzken are on display alongside rare pieces, some of which have never been shown before.
The exhibition opens with the fourth edition of the free Open House open days, running from Friday 12 June to Sunday 14 June 2026, during which this year’s Berlin Beats open-air DJ series will also begin.
© VG Bildkunst Bonn, 2025 / Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli
The exhibition is part of the programme marking the 30th anniversary of the Hamburger Bahnhof. In 2026, the Hamburger Bahnhof will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a programme spanning the history of the venue right through to the future: eight special exhibitions, a new presentation of the collection, as well as performances and concerts will extend the museum’s reach far into the urban landscape. The highlight will be the anniversary weekend from 13–15 November 2026, during which an international conference on the future of contemporary collection museums will take place and the museum will be open continuously for 30 hours.
The exhibition is curated by Sam Bardaouil, Director, and Charlotte Knaup, Curator, both at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.
WHEN?
Exhibition dates: from Friday, 12. June 2026
WHERE?
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Invalidenstraße 50
10557 Berlin
