When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition starts on 11.09.2026 at 10:00 AM and is expected to run until 11.10.2026.

How much is the admission?

The regular admission fee at the Kunsthalle Mannheim is 16 euros. Different prices apply for certain discounts.

Are there tours of the exhibition?

Yes, public tours and lectures are offered as part of the Kunsthalle Mannheim's accompanying program. According to house information, these start at 6 euros.

Is the Kunsthalle Mannheim accessible?

Yes, visits for guests with mobility impairments are nearly barrier-free. Details are provided by the Kunsthalle on their website.

Where is the exhibition located?

The exhibition takes place at Kunsthalle Mannheim, Friedrichsplatz 4, 68165 Mannheim.

Can I take photos during the exhibition visit?

Information on photography rules will follow on the official pages of the Kunsthalle Mannheim.

Radical and Real: The Kunsthalle Mannheim Shows Nouveau Realism in Rare, Great Breadth

Name: RADICAL. REAL. Nouveau Realism and the Art of the 1960s
Start: 2026-09-11T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-11T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Kunsthalle Mannheim

When Reality Becomes Art: RADICAL. REAL. at the Kunsthalle Mannheim

With RADICAL. REAL. Nouveau Realism and the Art of the 1960s, the Kunsthalle Mannheim opens a window to an era where art was no longer distant but immediate, material, and socially charged. The exhibition brings together central positions of Nouveau Realism and its surroundings and sheds light on a movement that transformed found objects, traces of everyday life, and the energy of the urban environment into a new artistic experience.

The Radical Proximity to Reality

Nouveau Realism emerged in response to the visual languages of the post-war period and a rapidly changing world. Artists such as Arman, César, Yves Klein, Mimmo Rotella, Daniel Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Jacques de la Villeglé made reality itself the material. Found objects, imprints, décollages, assemblages, and performative gestures create an exhibition atmosphere full of tension between object, surface, and meaning.

A Panorama of the 1960s

The presentation traces, according to Kunsthalle Mannheim, the artistic developments of Nouveau Realism into the early 1970s and depicts the movement as a multipolar, international history. It is not only about Paris but a wide network of artistic responses to consumer society, body images, public life, and environmental destruction. The works make materiality visible and transform the contemplation of the works into an aesthetic experience between precision, irony, and critical friction.

Famous Names, Distinct Forms

Starting with outstanding works from the collection of the Kunsthalle Mannheim, the exhibition includes major works by Arman, César, Yves Klein, Mimmo Rotella, Daniel Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Jacques de la Villeglé. This panorama is complemented by other artists such as Alina Szapocznikow, who developed similar questions concurrently. This creates an art-historically insightful view of sculpture, painting, installation, and works on paper in the tension between classical modernity and the avant-garde of the 1960s.

Curating with Museum Radiance

The exhibition is not only a showcase of artworks but also a precisely curated educational journey. Curator Luisa Heese and the Kunsthalle Mannheim place the movement in larger contexts and make visible how significantly the art of those years turned against rigid genre boundaries. Those interested in art history, museum education, and cultural education will find here an exemplary approach to one of the most formative currents of post-war modernity.

What Visitors Can Expect

An exhibition of exceptional density is expected: about 150 artworks, along with archival documents, photographs, and video footage of performances and actions. The result is an intense dialogue between object art, spatial effect, and societal reflection. This exhibition is definitely worth visiting live, as it is only in front of the originals that one can see how radically Nouveau Realism prepared contemporary art.