To mark its 30th anniversary, the Hamburger Bahnhof – National Gallery of Contemporary Art is bringing together five artists whose careers are closely linked to the history of the venue. Tacita Dean, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Henrik Håkansson and Tomás Saraceno worked in studios in the adjoining warehouses in the early 2000s. Parts of these relics of Berlin’s industrial history were incorporated into the museum building in 2003–04.
Image gallery
Olafur Eliasson, Your psychoacoustic light ensemble, 2024 Spotlight, glass lens, mirror foil, tripod, transducer, embedded computer system Installation view: Your psychoacoustic light ensemble, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York, 2024
More than 20 years later, the five artists are returning to their former workplace with the group exhibition ‘Next Door’. In the Rieckhallen, they are presenting new and large-scale works, thereby bringing together diverse artistic developments that once took their starting point at this shared location.
New works in the Rieckhallen
For ‘Next Door’, Tacita Dean is collaborating with Bruce Nauman on a new film that references Nauman’s site-specific installation ‘Room with My Soul Left Out, Room That Does Not Care’ (1984/2010) at the far end of the Rieckhallen.
Thomas Demand has pavilions featuring large-scale photographs floating through the space, whilst Olafur Eliasson translates sound waves into visual phenomena: overlapping circles of light react to a sound composition.
In a video installation, Henrik Håkansson explores ecological systems, examining them through a choreography of a butterfly’s wingbeat.
Tomás Saraceno is presenting his installation ‘14 Billions (Working Title)’ for the first time in over 15 years. It is complemented by his ongoing research into spider webs and the question of how a fear of spiders (arachnophobia) can be transformed into a love of spiders (arachnophilia).
30 Years of the Hamburger Bahnhof
‘Next Door’ forms part of the programme marking the 30th anniversary of the Hamburger Bahnhof. In 2026, the museum will span the history of the venue right through to the future with eight special exhibitions, a new presentation of its collection, as well as performances and concerts, whilst simultaneously extending its programme into the urban space of Berlin.
A highlight will be the anniversary weekend from 13 to 15 November 2026. An international conference will focus on the future of contemporary collection museums, whilst the Hamburger Bahnhof will remain open continuously for 30 hours.
To accompany the exhibition, a volume in the Hamburger Bahnhof’s catalogue series will be published by Silvana Editoriale Milano.
‘Next Door’ is curated by Sam Bardaouil, Director of the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, and Ulya Soley, SAHA Curator at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.
- The exhibition is supported by the Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e. V.
Opening: Thursday, 8 October 2026, 7.00 pm
Additional information
Opening hours
- Mon: closed
- Tue: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm
- Wed: 10.00 – 18.00
- Thu: 10.00 am – 8.00 pm
- Fri: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm
- Sat: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm
- Sun: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm
