How long does the exhibition run?

The exhibition runs from 03.07.2026 to 11.10.2026.

What is the entry fee?

The regular entry fee is 12 euros. Discounts and other ticket types are available according to the Kunsthalle.

Is the Kunsthalle Mannheim barrier-free?

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is nearly barrier-free accessible. Details about access and barrier-free pathways can be found on the museum's website.

Are there tours for the exhibition?

Yes, the Kunsthalle Mannheim offers tours. A public tour costs according to museum information 6 euros.

Can I take photos in the exhibition?

The house rules state that flash photography, additional lighting, tripods, and selfie sticks are not allowed.

How do I get to Kunsthalle Mannheim?

The Kunsthalle is located at Friedrichsplatz 4 in Mannheim and is easily accessible by public transportation. More detailed information is provided on the museum's website.

A groundbreaking exhibition that makes the 1960s feel suddenly very present

Name: RADICAL. REAL. Nouveau Realism and the Art of the 1960s
Start: 2026-07-03T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-11T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Kunsthalle Mannheim

An art experience between everyday life, reality, and revolt

The Kunsthalle Mannheim presents the largest special exhibition in Germany in over fifteen years on Nouveau Realism and its surroundings with RADICAL. REAL. Nouveau Realism and the Art of the 1960s. The exhibition gathers around 150 works and demonstrates how artists in the 1960s made reality itself the material of art.

When art breaks open the everyday

At the center is a movement that not only observed consumption, media, the object world, and societal change but transformed them into a new visual language. Arman, César, Yves Klein, Mimmo Rotella, Daniel Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Jacques de la Villeglé enter into an intense dialogue here with works by Jasper Johns, Alina Szapocznikow, Tetsumi Kudo, Chryssa, and Feliza Bursztyn. This creates a panorama that makes Nouveau Realism readable as an international, cross-border artistic movement.

Material, gesture, and media energy

Paintings, sculptures, installations, works on paper, as well as archival materials, photographs, and film and video documents vibrate the exhibition atmosphere between object art and social analysis. The consideration of the works shows how art in the 1960s detached itself from the easel, incorporates urban space, imagery, and consumer objects, thus opening up an astonishingly current aesthetic experience to this day.

Art historical classification with a contemporary view

Starting from significant works from its own collection, the Kunsthalle traces how consumer society condensed from the 1950s to the early 1970s. At the same time, the exhibition focuses on the relationship between Nouveau Realism and Pop Art. The comparison makes visible how differently both movements reacted to the world of goods, media images, and everyday aesthetics. This is precisely the strength of this curation: it combines art historical precision with cultural education and opens the view to an era of upheavals.

The Kunsthalle Mannheim as a place of modernity

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is one of the first civic collections of modernity worldwide and is known for its outstanding sculpture collection. With its historically grown ensemble at Friedrichsplatz and its profile as a research-strong house, it provides an ideal framework for this exhibition. The nearly barrier-free accessibility facilitates the visit, and the institution is geared towards mediation, tours, and art educational offerings.

Visit, tour, classification

Those interested in avant-garde, object art, media criticism, and the art of post-war modernity will find a dense, lively art experience here. The exhibition combines spectacular works with a reflective narrative about consumption, body, public, and reality. Particularly for art enthusiasts who seek more than mere presentation, the visit is especially worthwhile.

Conclusion: RADICAL. REAL. is an exhibition for all who want to experience the 1960s not just as a style history but as an artistic movement of thought. Between color, material, object, and image unfolds a show of high relevance and strong presence. A visit on-site promises insight, surprise, and an intense experience of modern art.