"Rethinking the Museum II – How to Display Modern Art Collections Today?"
On June 26-27, 2025, the symposium "Rethinking the Museum II" will bring together internationally renowned museum directors in Düsseldorf to discuss the key questions confronting museums in the dynamic and crisis-ridden 21st century. We invite you to join this exchange and reflect with us on the future of public institutions, their collections, and the narratives that shape art history today.

Dates: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 6.00-8.00 pm and Friday, June 27, 2025, 10.00 am-5.00 pm
Venue: K20 Trinkaus Auditorium, Grabbeplatz 5, 40213 Düsseldorf
Language: The event will be held in English

The collection of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen has undergone a fundamental transformation. It is now more diverse, global, and experimental than ever before. The new K20 collection display, Masterpieces from Etel Adnan to Andy Warhol (since July 6, 2024), embraces transnational and intergenerational storytelling, introduces feminist and global perspectives, and gives greater attention to regional narratives. Rethinking this museum involves breaking away from a linear, one-sided narrative and refocusing on alternative art histories.
In recent years, many museums have broadened their collections. New institutions dedicated to modern art such as Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and MSN Warsaw are emerging. But what connects these shifts, and what sets them apart? What do museums learn in the process of opening up – about their collections, their role as institutions, and their audiences? And what challenges do they face today? These questions mark a moment to reflect on current visions, curatorial strategies, and local challenges.

PROGRAM

THURSDAY, June 26, 2025

6.00 pm: "How to Display Modern Art Collections Today?" –
Opening speech, Susanne Gaensheimer (Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen)

6.15 - 8.00 pm: Keynote Lecture by Karen Archey: After Institutions

Followed by a Q&A with the public

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FRIDAY, June 27, 2025

10.00 - 10.30 am: Introduction by Stefanie Heraeus and Christian Spies

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PANEL I: "Broadening the Past, Shaping the Present. Collection Displays After the Grand Narrative"

10.30 - 11.15 am: Statements by Gitte Ørskou, Manuel Segade, Susanne Gaensheimer

11.15 am - 12 pm: Round table moderated by Stefanie Heraeus and Christian Spies

12.00 pm - 12.30 pm: Interview by Georg Imdahl with Vivien Trommer on the K20 Collection

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PANEL II: "The Blank Slate. Reinventing Collection Displays"

14.00 - 14.45 pm: Statements by Stephanie Rosenthal and Joanna Mytkowska

14.45 - 15.30 pm: Round table moderated by Stefanie Heraeus and Christian Spies

15.30 - 15.45 pm: Closing remarks by Lisa Gersdorf

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Admission: Free, no registration required.