Anniversary
50 years of Museum Ludwig

In 2026, the Museum Ludwig will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary by looking back on half a century filled with trailblazing exhibitions, major acquisitions, and significant developments in art. Since its foundation in 1976, made possible through a donation by the collectors Peter and Irene Ludwig to the city of Cologne, the museum has established itself as one of Europe’s leading institutions for modern and contemporary art.

Today, the Museum Ludwig is home to the largest collection of American Pop Art outside the United States, the world’s third-biggest Picasso collection, numerous works of Cubo-Futurism, Suprematism and Constructivism, major works of Expressionism and contemporary art, and an extensive photography collection. Together, these collections provide a comprehensive overview of twentieth-century art that showcases diverse media and key movements, including Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and European approaches from the 1950s and 1960s.

A major focus of the museum’s work is the ongoing reevaluation of its collection. This includes a continuous reassessment of its holdings and history that takes into account postcolonialism and gender and queer studies. The goal is to critically examine the canon of art history, its values and the hierarchies it establishes between different cultures. In this context, the Museum Ludwig has devoted considerable attention to art from South America, Africa, and Asia while also strengthening the presence of female artists within the collection.

To mark its fiftieth anniversary, the Museum Ludwig will present two major exhibitions. The first was a retrospective dedicated to the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, developed in collaboration with the Fondation Beyeler and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Thanks to Peter and Irene Ludwig, since its inception, the museum has been home to a work by Kusama, which is today part of its outstanding collection of Pop Art. This retrospective celebrates a unique figure within Pop Art and examines this movement from a non-Western perspective.

The second exhibition, Along the Color Line – Traces of a Transatlantic Modernism, addresses certain gaps in the collection. The show spotlights a number of Black cultural movements and works by African American artists, some of whom emigrated to Europe during the first half of the twentieth century or spent significant time there. It also explores the structures and societal systems that have contributed to the exclusion of these important perspectives from the collection.

“The Museum Ludwig has continued to evolve over the past fifty years. Our collection has grown more diverse, and today we are able to talk about it with a deeper awareness,” explains Yilmaz Dziewior, Director of the Museum Ludwig. “As an institution, we have become much more open, with our exhibitions and programs such as Late Night Thursday attracting a very broad audience. At the same time, we are increasingly aligning our activities with the principles of sustainability. All of these processes are long-term ventures, requiring time and energy. Looking ahead, we also face a number of challenges: What position do we take in political and social discussions? Our credibility is built on the fact that our actions are not guided by short-term policies; rather, our program is based on responsibility. Our aim is to be a museum that inspires, one where people can share their views—a living, open venue accessible to one and all.”

On Sunday, September 13, the Museum Ludwig invites all residents of Cologne and friends of the museum near and far to our anniversary party. The celebrations will include numerous activities for people of all ages, performances, workshops, and guided tours. The entrance is free on September 13. 

Program: 

11–11.30am 
Music ensembleLes Arcanes Baroques (in collaboration with the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra) 
Between Baroque sound art and contemporary reflection 
Venue: 2nd floor, in front of the roof terraces
 

11am–1pm 
Sound workshop 
For children aged 7–10. Limited number of places!
Tickets are available from 30 minutes before the start at the information desk in the museum 
 

2pm 
Happy Birthday Museum Ludwig 
Mayor Torsten Burmester and our Director Yilmaz Dziewior will cut the birthday cake
Venue: Entrance hall
 

2–4pm 
Musical interludes by the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra with the Lantana Camara ensemble  
Music meets art: at selected locations throughout the museum, surprising encounters take place between sounds, artworks and the public. The musical performances are made possible by zamus: Zentrum für Alte Musik Köln 
Venue: Collection throughout the museum 
 

2–5pm 
Kunst:Dialoge in the Permanent Collection 
 

4pm & 5pm 
Guided tour about the architecture of the Museum Ludwig (in German) 
Limited number of participants.Tickets are available from 30 minutes before the start at the information desk in the museum
 

5-5:30pm 
Dance and music performance UNTIL THE BEGINNINGS
Especially for the anniversary celebrations, Cologne-based choreographer Stephanie Thiersch, together with the performers Nadéeya GK (Nadia Gabrieli Kalati), Shelly Quest and Joel Suárez Gómez, has developed a site-specific adaptation of the internationally acclaimed dance and music performance UNTIL THE BEGINNINGS, which brings together movement, space and the audience in a unique way.
UNTIL THE BEGINNINGS is a collaboration with the Ecole des Sables Senegal and Alesandra Seutin.
Venue: Foyer
 

6–6:30pm 
Les Arcanes Baroques music ensemble (in collaboration with the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra)  
Between Baroque musical art and contemporary reflection
Venue: 2nd floor, in front of the roof terraces 
 

Also from 1.30 pm 
40 years of the Cologne Philharmonic  
Concerts, guided tours, workshops and much more
Venue: Foyer of the Cologne Philharmonic, Rheingarten Foyer, Heinrich-Böll-Platz
 

The anniversary year is taking place under the patronage of Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia and member of the Landtag, the state parliament. 

We would like to thank our anniversary partners, RheinEnergie and the REWE Group, for their generous support. We would also like to thank our Leading Partner, the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation.