A year exploring aesthetics
Bonn 53113
Germany
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday 10am–6pm
Wednesday 10am–9pm
Dear friends of arts and culture,
Our theme for 2027 is aesthetics—a subject that reaches far beyond art and personal taste. Our aesthetic sensibilities are shaped by cultural, social and historical influences, while ideals of beauty, body images, fashion and trends reflect social norms. Outward appearances thus become social and cultural codes through which identity, status and power are negotiated.
We are very pleased to give you a preview of the Bundeskunsthalle’s varied programme for the coming year. A wide range of inspiring exhibitions and events are awaiting you!
Beauty is Power: Helena Rubinstein—Pioneer of Modern Cosmetics
February 26–September 5, 2027
The first exhibition in Germany devoted to the self-made entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein explores a woman who broke with convention and placed a commitment to women’s self-determination at the heart of her work. In the early 20th century, when beauty care received little attention and wearing makeup was frowned upon, she championed the idea that every woman could discover her own individual beauty.
Trend Bureau. The GDR Fashion Institute
March 19–September 12, 2027
East Germany's fashion institute promoted the image of a modern socialist woman who both held a job and ran a household. The exhibition explores fashion and trends from the 1960s through the Institute’s transformation following German reunification. It shows how collections drew on international trends and how fashion magazines such as Sibylle helped women empower themselves.
Interactions 2027
May 1–November 1, 2027
Continuing a well-established tradition, the Bundeskunsthalle presents outdoor artworks to enrich perception, engage with art, and make it easier for people in a diverse society to connect with one another. In the end having fun is part of the idea.
Real Time. Wolfgang Tillmans
May 27–October 3, 2027
This exhibition in Bonn is devoted to one of today’s foremost international artists and focuses on his extensive archive: material collected over more than four decades—magazines, articles, catalogs, flyers, invitation cards, ephemera, and much more—is compiled in an installation in its own right, complemented by predominantly new photographs and video installations.
Suki: The Spirit of Beauty in Japan
September 3, 2027–January 30, 2028
Japanese culture—from garden design and architecture to art, crafts, and cuisine—has profoundly shaped contemporary design. The exhibition explores Japan’s aesthetics and its connections to nature, history and other cultures. SUKI brings together an appreciation of beauty and a sensibility for elegance in simplicity.
Federal Prize for Art Students
October 29, 2027–January 9, 2028
Awarded every two years by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the Federal Prize for Art Students showcases works by its recipients in an exhibition recognized as a unique forum for emerging artists in Germany.
Being/Beautiful: From Ideal to Staged Image
November 26, 2027–June 5, 2028
Embodied by figures such as Nefertiti, the Mona Lisa and Marilyn Monroe, classic ideals have helped shape our understanding of beauty. Drawing on a range of perspectives, this exhibition examines why beauty is more than a value judgment based on personal taste.
Live arts—Dance, theater, music, performance
For many years, Live arts has been synonymous with innovative international productions. Among others, the programme includes the Akram Khan Company, which presents Chotto Desh (February 2027), combining Indian kathak and contemporary dance, spoken word, animation and music to tell a boy’s moving story, as well as Rimini Protokoll with 2076 (Live) (March 2027), a science fiction show performed in Bamako, Mali, and broadcast live to the Bundeskunsthalle’s Forum.
STUDIO BONN rounds out our year of art and culture with discussions of today’s key social challenges and hopeful perspectives on possible futures, addressing topics such as EUROPE: What can we learn from Brexit? (September 30) and GERMANY? Who we are and who we could be (November 21).
With this program we warmly invite you to reflect, to exchange ideas, and to participate.
We are looking forward to your visit!
Yours sincerely,
Eva Kraus and the whole team of the Bundeskunsthalle
Artistic Director: Eva Kraus / Managing Director: Oliver Hölken
Press officer: Sven Bergmann, presse [at] bundeskunsthalle.de
Current exhibitions:
Sex Work: A Cultural History
Until October 25, 2026
Never Again! Against Forgetting the Crimes of the Nazi Regime
Until May 2, 2027
Vanguardistas: 100 Years of Latin American Women Artists
December 4, 2026 to March 29, 2027
For the most up to date schedule, please go visit here.
The Bundeskunsthalle is supported by
Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.
Contact
Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Museumsmeile Bonn, Helmut-Kohl-Allee 4, 53113 Bonn. T +49 228 9171 200 / info@bundeskunsthalle.de.
