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Where to Find Modern Art in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Modern art lovers rejoice! You’re going to love Frankfurt am Main, Germany! You have great choices for seeing modern and contemporary art and I have three recommendations to help you start planning your modern art escapades in Frankfurt.

Museum für Moderne Kunst designed by Hans Hollein | Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Museum fuer Moderne Kunst (MMK for short)
The design of this building reminds me of a cat meme, ‘If I fits, I sits’. In 1983, Hans Hollein’s slice of cake-looking design won first prize for the architecture competition for Frankfurt’s newest museum. Hollein fully utilized the space and leaves the visitor guessing how the inside of the museum will work. There are different routes and levels, all the while you can peek over at other spaces. The exhibit spaces are very photogenic. No surprise, there was a family and a professional photographer using the staircase as a backdrop for their family photos. It’s that cool inside.

The Museum fuer Moderne Kunst permanent collection is from the 1960s until present day, and includes all mediums including photography. They have ongoing efforts to digitze their collection, and you can view their hard work here:

Important to Know Before You Go
The entire permanent collection is not on view all the time, due to space constraints. If you’re there for one artist only or one piece only, its best to call or email ahead of time to find out if its on the floor. We looked from top to bottom for the 57 Penguin piece, only to find out after fruitless searching that it wasn’t currently out.

Schirn Kunsthalle | Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schirn Kunsthalle
The modern looking Schirn Kunsthalle building is hiding down a narrow alleyway off the Roemerberg. The entry foyer is minimalistic and stark, with LED directional signage lighting. There’s no permanent collection, the museum is completely dependent on the temporary exhibits they run. When temporary exhibits are your livelihood, it's imperative to be newsworthy and unique. They’re very progressive and creative with their topics. While we were there, they had a Vienna Woodcut Exhibition, the first of its kind running. The Schirn smartly spent part of the exhibit space showing the original blocks and explaining the process of Woodcutting alongside the pieces.

I’m personally agonizing that the exhibit Splendor and Misery in the Weimar Republic starts the month after our trip. Its running from October 27-February 25, 2018. If you go, please tell me all about it! I’m already contemplating how I can get my hands on an exhibition catalog.

Important To Know Before You Go
The museum staff is super strict about bags and coats going into the exhibition rooms. There’s an airport-style bag size tester for you to check and see if your belongings are too big, and a security guard in place to enforce it. The signage is bilingual, German and English.

Staedel Museum
Can I write an art museum post about Frankfurt, and NOT include the Staedel Museum? No way! The Staedel Museum also the entire lower floor dedicated to modern art. If you missed my article about the Staedel, it was the 13th post I ever wrote for this blog so I don’t blame you, I’ll fill you in about what you need to know about the Staedel here.

How the Staedel Museum in Frankfurt Stole My Heart | Photo Copyright Städel Museum

Photo Copyright Städel Museum

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Thank you For Reading! Denise & Sebastian | Photo by Irene Fiedler