THIS IS TOMORROW

“THIS IS TOMORROW” is a promise from the Staatsgalerie: We collect in the present for the future. Specifically, this means that in recent years, our collection strategy has deliberately focused on female artists, who have been significantly underrepresented until now. In addition, in the field of contemporary art, we are continuously acquiring works that address global social issues, thereby enriching the collection with new perspectives. In addition to works from the Staatsgalerie, selected loans from the Scharpff-Striebich Collection, the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection, and the Siegfried and Jutta Weishaupt Collection complement the exhibition.

Our present is heterogeneous, global, and discursive. This is evident, on the one hand, in the variety of media: in addition to paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper, large-scale video works and expansive installations are on view. It is also evident in the diversity of the artists’ perspectives, whose varied experiences and lived worlds flow into their works and broaden our horizons. Contrasted with contemporary art are works from the 20th century that demonstrate how current themes—such as ecological crises, war and violence, the exploration of identity and the human body, and the fundamental question of social coexistence—have shaped artistic creation for at least a century. In this way, questions from the past reveal their relevance today and offer food for thought about our future.

“THIS IS TOMORROW” takes its title from a small-format collage by British artist Richard Hamilton, which depicts fantastical architecture and makes clear: The future is a utopia worth believing in, even in times of crisis.