The Hamburger Bahnhof was one of Berlin’s major terminus stations in the 19th century – a place of arrival, departure and transition. To this day, this history shapes the museum of contemporary art in the heart of Berlin. Like Berlin itself, the Hamburger Bahnhof is full of complexity and contrasts, with change as its constant.
Giulia Andreani
In February 2026, painter Giulia Andreani opens the exhibition programme marking the 30th anniversary of Hamburger Bahnhof, presenting paintings that expose fractures within official histories. Andreani’s artistic practice of “painting with photographs” thrives on the tension between authoritarian figures and forgotten characters of the past. The starting point for the figurative, monochromatic paintings whose Payne’s gray tones recall historical photographs is found in family albums or archives. Her images reveal hidden narratives, address collective forgetting, and open up new layers of meaning for the present. Andreani’s anniversary contribution reinterprets historical collections through a contemporary lens: The exhibition architecture refers to Sigmar Polke’s 1997 exhibition The Three Lies of Painting at Hamburger Bahnhof, and her paintings are shown together with works from the Antikensammlung, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of European Cultures, and the Kupferstichkabinett.
Born in 1985 in Mestre, Italy, Giulia Andreani studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice and later contemporary art history at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 2018, she was an artist-in-residence at the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. In 2022, she was shortlisted for the Prix Marcel Duchamp. Her works are included in collections such as the Centre Pompidou (France), the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration (France), the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Italy), MASI (Switzerland), and MASP (Brazil).
Exhibition Catalogue
Accompanying the exhibition is the 17th edition of the Hamburger Bahnhof catalogue series, published by Silvana Editoriale Milano, comprising 136 pages, available at the Hamburger Bahnhof bookstore and through the Buchhandlung Walther König webshop for €12. ISBN: 9788836664108
Curators
The exhibition is curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, Directors of Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart and Emily Finkelstein, assistant curator Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.
The exhibition is part of the 30 Years of Hamburger Bahnhof anniversary programme. In 2026, Hamburger Bahnhof celebrates its 30th anniversary with a programme bridging the site’s history and its future: eight special exhibitions, a new collection presentation, as well as performances and concerts that extend the museum’s reach into the city. Highlight will be the anniversary weekend, 13 to 15 November, featuring an international conference on the future of contemporary collection museums and a 30-hour continuous opening of the museum.
Supported by the Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e. V.
A special exhibition of the Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin