The Museum Morsbroich is celebrating its 75th anniversary with an extraordinary exhibition entitled "Chained to the Rhythm. Of Man and Nature", the building is being deliberately opened up - to light, air, weather and everything that is otherwise excluded from museum operations. The focus is on the special connection between nature and culture, historical palace architecture, the palace park and contemporary art. The starting point is the question of how we relate to nature today, whether we have separated ourselves from it or continue to be part of it.
Curator Fritz Emslander sees the exhibition, which runs until June 7, 2026, as an invitation to slow down and reimagine a place that has always been intended as a retreat. The title picks up on a Katy Perry song and refers to the tension between pace, habit and the desire for change. Designed as an experiment, the rooms can initially be experienced empty before the art gradually moves in - sometimes in the presence of the public. Familiar museum rules take a back seat at times to allow for new experiences. Boundaries between inside and outside, art and everyday life are deliberately blurred, for example with works by Andy Warhol, Bill Viola, Herlinde Koelbl and Lois Weinberger.
More on the anniversary
The Museum Morsbroich was opened on January 27, 1951 as one of the first museums for contemporary art in the young Federal Republic of Germany. It quickly developed into an important venue for experimental and international art. The anniversary year 2026 builds on this history: With several exhibitions, an open launch under the motto "Inhabit Morsbroich!" and new formats. The museum is not only looking back, but also forward. The question is what role the museum can play in the future as a place of art, nature and social exchange. A particular highlight of the program is the Morsbroich Art Days, which will take place from 8 to 10 May 2026.
