About us

The Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg is an estab­lished and vibrant art venue—deeply rooted in the local and regional commu­nities, yet influ­en­tial and recognized on the inter­na­tional stage. It invites visitors to draw inspi­ra­tion from global art, discover something new and perhaps even provo­ca­tive, or take a break from everyday life. As an acces­sible and inclusive cultural space, the museum fosters curiosity and reflec­tion while offering education, fun, and enjoyment for everyone.

Through ground­brea­king solo and thematic exhibi­tions, as well as by resear­ching, preser­ving, and presen­ting our diverse collec­tion, we showcase artis­ti­cally signi­fi­cant works of inter­na­tional impor­t­ance. With a critical eye, we address pressing contem­porary issues as reflected in art and enrich social discourse with new perspec­tives. We also take this respon­si­bi­lity seriously from an ecolo­gical and ethical stand­point: We are conti­nuously working to sustainably reduce our museum’s resource consump­tion and CO₂ emissions.

With our new Open Area, we are opening the museum even more widely to the city’s residents and diverse commu­nities. As an agile space for encoun­ters and creati­vity, the Open Area facili­tates parti­ci­pa­tory formats, co-creation, and a lively exchange of knowledge on an equal footing. Together with the innova­tive in-person and digital offerings of our art education program, the Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg invites visitors to actively help shape art or to enjoy its inspiring spectrum together with family and friends.

Through the Volks­wagen Group Art4All and Young & Free programs, we offer free admission and the oppor­tu­nity to experi­ence not only the exhibi­tions but also concerts, lectures, and artist talks.

In times of complex crises and social upheaval, art offers guidance and can instill confi­dence. With its creative energy and aesthetic forms, art brings together people of different genera­tions, cultures, and walks of life. This shared experi­ence streng­t­hens a democratic sense of community and promotes diversity, empathy, and social cohesion. With its unique spatial possi­bi­li­ties, the Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg provides the ideal setting for this.

The Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg is an open yet safe, inclusive, sustainable, and parti­ci­pa­tory art venue—a place for everyone.

Dr. Andreas Beitin
Director, Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg
Summer 2026

The Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg has been collec­ting inter­na­tional contem­porary art since 1994. A solid founda­tion was laid with key works from the field of Minimal Art, Concep­tual Art and Arte Povera. Works by a younger genera­tion of artists were subse­quently added. It was never the intention to assemble a broad encyclo­pedic collec­tion, focusing instead on prominent major works, ensembles and work phases in addition to the exemplary presen­ta­tion of artistic develo­p­ments. The result is not a documen­ta­tion of so-called “currents” but concen­trates instead on artists and artworks repre­sen­ting important aspects of contem­porary art. The collec­tion presently encom­passes circa 1.000 works or ensembles.

Franz Ackermann, Doug Aitken, Carl Andre, Nobuyoshi Araki, John M. Armleder, Katie Armstrong, Richard Artsch­wager, Awst & Walther, Caroline Bachmann & Stefan Banz, Christian Boltanski, Stanley Brouwn, Hussein Chalayan, Tony Cragg, René Daniëls, Jan Dibbets, Burhan Doğançay, Olafur Eliasson, Helmut Federle, Peter Fischli/David Weiss, Gilbert & George, Douglas Gordon, Paul Graham, Andreas Gursky, Brian Harte, Eberhard Havekost, Jeppe Hein, Georg Herold, Gary Hill, Damien Hirst, Rebecca Horn, Pieter Hugo, Gary Hume, Jörg Immen­dorff, Christian Jankowski, Sergej Jensen, Johannes Kahrs, Gert Jan Kocken, Peter Keetman, Anselm Kiefer, In Sook Kim, Imi Knoebel, Gert Jan Kocken, Ola Koleh­mainen, Jeff Koons, Jannis Kounellis, Imi Knoebel, Robert Lebeck, Pia Linz, Michael Majerus, Joseph Marioni, Rémy Marko­witsch, Maix Mayer, Allan McCollum, Gerhard Merz, Mario Merz, Sarah Morris, Maurizio Nannucci, Bruce Nauman, Nam June Paik, Panama­renko, Verner Panton, Manfred Pernice, Elizabeth Peyton, Daniel Pflumm, Julius Popp, Neo Rauch, Tobias Rehberger, Thomas Schütte, Cindy Sherman, Beat Streuli, Philip Taaffe, Sam Taylor-Johnson, James Turrell, Luc Tuymans, Jeff Wall, Lawrence Weiner, James Welling, Tim Wolff, Erwin Wurm, Thomas Zipp.

The Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg is probably the only museum in Europe with a Japan Garden. Origi­nally conceived by the museum’s architect Peter Schweger, the 16 x 32 meter large sculpture court was opened in September 2007 as a place of tranqui­lity and contem­pla­tion. The concep­tion of a Zen garden is closely tied to the “Japan and the West: The Filled Void” exhibi­tion that was shown the same year. Inspired by the museum’s trans­pa­rent technoid appearance that was conceived as an urban villa, the Japan Garden repres­ents a peaceful oasis in the middle of the indus­trial city of Wolfsburg.

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Kazuhisa Kawamura from the Fachhoch­schule Mainz was the partner architect involved in the planning of the Japan Garden. Kawamura has been active in Germany since 1973. Aside from his profes­sor­ship for repre­sen­ta­tional geometry, the founda­tions of design and archi­tec­tural theory he works as a freelance architect in Cologne. Roofed and furnished with benches, the Japan Garden offers the visitor the chance to unwind and slow down. Looking out across the pebbled area one’s glance meets a wall that lends the garden a sculp­tural quality on account of its compo­si­tion and color as well as through its inter­ac­tion with two other smaller wall slabs. According to the Japanese way of thinking, it is not contra­dic­tory to enclose nature in the form of a garden with hedges, walls and buildings but rather a sign of the Japanese sense of beauty. The delibe­rate combi­na­tion of planned ratio­na­lity and random natural­ness is charac­te­ristic of a Japanese garden. Only when it is bordered like a painting in a frame is the garden recognized as such and appreciated.

Elements of Zen gardens are integrated into the large pebbled area that symbo­lizes water. The stones and plants were chosen in accordance with their climatic suita­bi­lity; Japanese bamboos were thus planted alongside local juniper bushes and a maple tree that will develop into a bonsai through continual profes­sional trimming.

Ideally, the garden and the museum are not to be seen as separate archi­tec­tonic works but rather as parts of a single overall concept. Both environ­ments seemingly flow naturally into each other, creating a symbiosis. The Japan Garden in the Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg is acces­sible to museum visitors during the museum’s usual opening hours (through the east cabinet to the rear of the large exhibi­tion hall).

The realiz­a­tion of the garden was generously supported by Pon Holdings B.V., Nijkerk, The Netherlands.