Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum

The Neue Sammlung was founded as a state museum in 1925 and represented a departure from the historically artificial focus of traditional arts and crafts museums. It has existed as the department of arts and crafts, which was intended as an extension of the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum until this very day, and has established a reputation far beyond the borders of Bavaria and indeed Germany. The word "new" in the title was a reference to what the museum stood for, and has been of relevance ever since. In the very year of its foundation the Neue Sammlung managed to acquire a small number of top international objects at the ground-breaking "Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes" in Paris.

In 1996 the Free State of Bavaria began work on two extensive sets of new premises for the museum, in Munich the Pinakothek der Moderne and in Nuremberg the Neues Museum, which was completed in 2000. Selected examples from the worlds of independent art and architecture, as well as applied art and design now illustrate the formal variety of our century at the highest of levels.

Showcasing some 300 pieces of jewelry art, on March 5, 2004 Die Neue Sammlung and the Danner Foundation opened a new permanent exhibition area. It showcases permanent loans from the Danner Jewelry Collection, which provides a wealth of insights into this lively international scene.

Jewelry Arts in the Pinakothek der Moderne

>>The Danner Rotunde – the Jewelry Space at Pinakothek der Moderne VIRTUAL TOUR

Jewelry in which the artist's signature is manifest: The Danner-Rotunda presents contemporary works from over one hundred international goldsmiths.The classic metier of gold and silversmith work has fundamentally changed in the second half of the 20th century, freeing itself from the constraints of traditional functionalities and materials. Today, the jewelry arts can claim to have the expressiveness of autonomous art works.

These are the aspects upon which the international Collection of the Danner-Stiftung (Foundation) and its presentation in the Danner-Rotunda are concentrating. The hand-wrought, one-of-a-kind objects reflect the broad creative spectrum of modern jewelry arts and reveal aesthetic dimensions that are seldom found in the current museum scene - starting with the avant-garde artists of the 60's and their immediate successors up to the experiment-focussed jewelry visions of the present day. They stem from European countries including Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Spain, as well as from the USA, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Jewelry as installation - in two wall display cases, interpreted by young jewelry artists. The response to the varied and multi-dimensional panorama of international jewelry arts is reflected in the overall exhibition concept. In rotation of several years, guest curators will be invited to each shed light on the Collection of the Danner-Stiftung through their own approach. Thus the face of the permanent presentation will change and be able to flexibly react to contemporary developments in the jewelry arts, consequently fostering the growth of the foundation's collection.

The curators of the inaugural exhibition are Professor Hermann Jünger, who was Director of studies for gold work at Munich's Academy of Fine Arts from 1971 to 1990, and Professor Otto Künzli who took over this task starting 1991. Both goldsmiths are internationally recognized for their work as artists, teachers and intermediators for contemporary jewelry arts and have accompanied the development of the Danner Jewelry Collection over a period of several years.


Visiting hours:
Daily 10:00 – 18:00 h
Mon closed, Thu 10:00 – 20:00 h
Opening hours on public holidays.

Fees:
Regular  10 €, reduced 7 €, Sunday admission 1 €