When is the exhibition running?

The exhibition is on view at the Kunsthalle Mannheim from July 3, 2026, to October 11, 2026.

What is the admission price?

The regular admission is 16 Euros, and reduced is 14 Euros. Public tours are available from 6 Euros according to the museum.

What are the opening hours?

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is open from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 10 AM to 6 PM. On the first Wednesday of the month, it is open until 10 PM.

Is the exhibition accessible for people with disabilities?

Visiting is nearly barrier-free for guests with mobility restrictions. There are barrier-free approaches, barrier-free stops, and special tours available upon request.

Are there mediation offers?

Yes, the Kunsthalle Mannheim offers tours, workshops, and other mediation formats related to the exhibition.

How do I get to the Kunsthalle Mannheim?

The Kunsthalle is located at Friedrichsplatz 4 in the center of Mannheim and is easily accessible by public transport. There are accessible parking spaces nearby.

Radical, Real, Surprising: Mannheim Shows the Power of the 1960s

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 artistic experience between consumer criticism, body images, and urban energy

The Kunsthalle Mannheim dedicates the largest special exhibition in Germany on Nouveau Realism and its environment in more than fifteen years. Under the title RADICAL. REAL., a panorama of the 1960s opens up, where found materials, everyday objects, and reality itself become the artistic substance.

When the real becomes form

This exhibition shows how consistently artists turned their gaze to the things of everyday life after World War II. Packaging, remnants of posters, fragments of machinery, and consumer objects enter the realm of art and transform painting, sculpture, and installation into a direct confrontation with the present. The result is an exhibition atmosphere full of tension, materiality, and historical precision.

Main works and international perspectives

Starting from works in the collection of the Kunsthalle Mannheim, the exhibition brings together central positions from Arman, César, Yves Klein, Mimmo Rotella, Daniel Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Jacques de la Villeglé. In addition, works by Alina Szapocznikow, Jasper Johns, Tetsumi Kudo, Chryssa, and Feliza Bursztyn appear. This creates a multipolar cartography of the art of the 1960s that extends beyond Paris to Europe, Latin America, and the USA.

Body, consumption, and society as image themes

Nouveau Realism reacted to the young consumer society, to media images, advertising, and industrial acceleration. The works address body and identity as well as environmental destruction, urban perception, and the question of how art not only depicts the real but presents it immediately. This connection between aesthetic experience and cultural criticism makes the exhibition so relevant for today's visitors.

Curatorial depth and mediation

Curated by Luisa Heese with curatorial assistance from Dr. Stefano Agresti, the exhibition combines scholarly clarity with sensual representational quality. The Kunsthalle Mannheim focuses on mediation formats that combine art perception and cultural education and open access to the works beyond classical artwork consideration.

Visit, opening hours, and accessibility

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is located at Friedrichsplatz in the center of the city. Visitors can come from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays; the barrier-free approach via the Kunsthalle stop and the good accessibility by public transport make visiting the exhibition uncomplicated. Nearly barrier-free access and guided tours are available upon request for people with mobility restrictions.

Conclusion: RADICAL. REAL. is an exhibition for everyone who wants to experience art as an immediate encounter with reality. Anyone who wants to understand the material aesthetics, critical energy, and visual language of the 1960s in all its diversity should definitely visit this exhibition in Mannheim live.