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.
Endless Exhibition
The Endless Exhibition now includes 23 artworks from the Hamburger Bahnhof collection displayed indoors and outdoors. The microsite and booklet guide visitors through the museum, garden, and surrounding areas, connecting the collection with history, architecture, and the neighborhood. The tour includes Dan Flavin’s light installation (1996), historic sites such as the former border crossing at Invalidenstraße, Christian Boltanski’s The Missing House in Große Hamburger Straße (1990), and annual commissioned works by Berlin-based artists Judith Hopf (2023), Claudia Wieser (2024) and Susan Philipsz (2025). Starting in August 2026, an installation conceived by Ayșe Erkmen for the museum’s facade is on view.
Each year, the Endless Exhibition is supplemented by a newly created work of art permanently acquired for the Nationalgalerie collection. As all the artworks to date have been made by male artists, female artists have been invited to contribute works from 2023 to 2026. The 2023 installations, dem Kirschbaum ähnelnde Essigbaumäste and Regen, by Berlin-based artist Judith Hopf address nature’s energy and resilience lying beyond human influence. They are on view in the passageway to the east wing. Since June 2024, a tiled work by Berlin-based artist Claudia Wieser has been installed on the rounded elevator shaft at the entrance to the restaurant. Scottish sound artist Susan Philipsz has developed a sound installation for the Endless Exhibition, which is implemented in Hamburger Bahnhof’s courtyard and explores the site and its history. In 2026, Ayșe Erkmen installed a golden, graphic sculpture on the facade of the former train station building, which references both the building’s original function and its current role as a museum of contemporary art.
Curators
The exhibition is curated by the art team from Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.
Endless Exhibition is a project realised by Hamburger Bahnhof with the kind support of Peppermint and the Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e.V.
A permanent exhibition of the Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin