Haus der Kunst Traces a Playful Art History Co-Created with Children
Exhibition explores children's active participation in shaping artworks.
1Children's Uninhibited Encounter with Art
Wax crayon marks on Haus der Kunst's marble floors challenge traditional art boundaries in Ei Arakawa-Nash's 'Mega Please Draw Freely'. This interactive installation invites visitors to collectively transform the museum's central hall, embodying the exhibition's core philosophy of showcasing art made for young audiences since 1968 through participatory creation.
2The Revolutionary Legacy of KEKS
The KEKS collective, formed around Munich Art Academy in 1968, redefined art education by moving from classrooms to streets. Their experiments with simple materials shifted focus from finished artworks to creative processes. In 1972, they established a children's center within Haus der Kunst, transforming the museum into a space shaped by its users.
3Games Where Children Write the Rules
Basim Magdy's 'PINGPINPOOLPONG' installation empowers children to invent their own rules in a hybrid of ping-pong, pool and pinball. With nearly impossible winning conditions, the work celebrates failure through collaborative play. A chalkboard and rulebook co-created with young participants encourage continuous reinvention of the game mechanics.
4Learning Through Touch
Ernesto Neto's 'Uni Verso Bebé II Lab' creates a womb-like environment where visitors explore pre-verbal learning. The glowing tent structure with hanging fabric forms prioritizes tactile experiences over language. By removing shoes and crawling inside, participants gain knowledge through bodily awareness and sensory engagement.
5Sculpture Shaped by Use
KOO JEONG A's 'HAUS DER MAGNET' on the Eisbach terrace becomes meaningful through skaters' movements. The wooden magnet-shaped structure features photoluminescent paint that glows at night. While the museum provides the framework, users determine how the space functions through their interactions and skate lines.
6Building History and Future with Blocks
Ólafur Elíasson's 'The cubic structural evolution project' features 500kg of white LEGO for continuous urban modeling. Contrastingly, Yto Barrada's 'Lyautey Unit Blocks' references colonial history through rearrangeable letter blocks. Both works engage children in conversations about how cities are constructed and whose narratives they represent.