The Hamburger Kinderzimmer

The internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson has created something extremely special for the ground floor of the Gallery of Contemporary Art. He has conceived a place that delights the eyes, a space for adventure and play, where children and adults can experience art at close proximity. The space is furnished with a smart and convivial modular Zometools game that encourages everyone to design, assemble, construct and display their own sculptures. Works of art by Old and New Masters and a variety of play stations intended to stimulate all the senses encourage players to constantly invent new forms and structures. And if you think the object you’ve been building is finally finished and you've found – nearly – all the hidden play stations and artworks inside the nursery then you’ll be given a free trailmap that will take you on a path through the collection to discover other exciting games and adventures.

We thank the Stiftung Hamburger Kunstsammlungen for the acquisition of the Structural Evolution Project and the scope for the beginning of Olafur Eliasson. The family exhibitions and hiking map (Wanderkarte) is generously supported by the Hans Brökel Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Kultur. We also thank Malschule der Hamburger Kunsthalle e. V. for the support.

Current exhibition »EVERYTHING IN BALANCE?«

3 SEPTEMBER 2020 TO UNTIL THE END OF 2024

The new exhibition for the family in the Hamburger Kinderzimmer asks: »Is everything in balance?« and invites children of age six and older and their families to make some new discoveries, playfully and with lots of fun. For even if many things have been off balance due to the corona virus, the situation nonetheless offers a chance to explore new ways of interaction and to strike a balance between »social« and »physical distance«.

Our recent show on the topic of »Balance« features selected works from 300 years, comprising everything from paintings, to sculptures and installations, all the way to video. Setting out from the popular participatory installation created by the Islandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, the exhibition delves into this aspect of vital importance for building and playing – attaining and maintaining a state of equilibrium is likewise a physical experience and a fundamental constant of our society and the way we live together.

On the painting by Théodore Gudin (1802–1880) it says: »Hold on tight«, for the ship got caught in a storm. How did the crew react to the tempest? The video work of the contemporary artist Julius von Bismarck (*1983) alludes to our sense of balance in a somewhat different way, when the horizon shifts almost unnoticeably, until the sky is longer to be seen at all. A delicate inter-personal balance is the underlying topic of the sculpture by Ellen Sieveking (1901–1993). The body posture of the Two Sisters tells of trust, community and children’s playfulness.

In addition to the central work by Olafur Eliasson and the family exhibition, many attractive playing and listening stations await our young and grown-up visitors, such as a listening cave or a wiggle table. With the new games and information maps, distributed free of charge at the cash desk, further highlights of the museum collection may be explored, from the Old Masters to Contemporary Art: you are very welcome to try out some balancing, exploring and weighing up.