Art after 1945

Since the 1980s, the Lenbachhaus has collected international contemporary art and works by artists whose lives are associated with Munich. One principle guiding the museum's acquisitions policy has been the focus on selected artists, whose artistic development is closely followed.

Today the Lenbachhaus owns one of the most extensive and interesting museum collections with works by Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Günter Fruhtrunk, Rupprecht Geiger, Maria Lassnig, Sarah Morris, Isa Genzken, and others.

The collection of post-1945 art emphasizes abstract works which build on the aspirations of modernist art. The history of conceptual art and new media, especially video art, and the artistic engagement with photography also figure prominently in the collection.

The Lenbachhaus’s efforts to enlarge its collection are supported by the KiCo Foundation and the Förderverein Lenbachhaus e.V., the society of friends of the Lenbachhaus.