Dan Flavin

In 1994, the Kunstbau of Lenbachhaus Munich was inaugurated. Designed by the architectural firm Uwe Kiessler + Partner, the subterranean exhibition hall—mirroring the dimensions of the subway station directly beneath it—provided the Lenbachhaus with a new spatial dimension for presenting art.

To mark the opening, Dan Flavin (1933–1996) created one of his final "situations." Flavin used this term to describe site-specific works in which the focus lies on spatial light and perception.

No work is more closely associated with the Kunstbau than "untitled (for Ksenija)". This late piece reaffirms Flavin’s ongoing engagement with the interplay between light art and architecture. By illuminating the exhibition space, he transforms it into a realm of experience. Fluorescent light, color, space, and the bodies and senses of the visitors enter into an inseparable, diffused interaction.

As a leading figure in Minimal Art—a movement that incorporated industrially manufactured materials and radically reduced personal expression—Flavin deliberately distanced himself from the illusionistic imagery of painting, the gestural expression of Abstract Expressionism, and the figurative language of Pop Art. His works consistently respond to their spatial environments, making viewer perception and the relationship to space integral parts of the work.

After early explorations in painting, Flavin began working exclusively with standardized, commercially available fluorescent tubes in the mid-1960s, using them in varied arrangements as his primary artistic medium. His minimalist pencil drawings served as precise conceptual foundations for these installations.

On March 8, 1994, the Lenbachhaus received a fax from the Dan Flavin Studio in New York containing one such minimalist drawing. The sketch outlines both the conceptual framework and specific technical instructions for installing the fluorescent lamps on the Kunstbau's lighting track, documenting the artistic conception of the piece. Flavin developed these drawings into operable structures, enabling each realization to function as a distinct, site-specific model.

Installed along the Kunstbau’s four architecturally defined lighting tracks, the colored fluorescent lamps recede physically in favor of an experiential space defined entirely by light. This light not only brings the architecture to life but also profoundly to perception of visitors: movement, light adaptation, and color perception become elements of an aesthetic experience that encourages reflection on space, the body, and perception itself.

Heiner and Philippa Friedrich donated "untitled (for Ksenija)" to the Lenbachhaus in memory of their parents Erika and Harald Friedrich, as well as Dominique and John de Menil. The installation is a permanent part of the collection and is now being shown for the tenth time in accordance with the donors’ wishes.

Further information about the work and its exhibition history can be found in the rotunda of the Kunstbau.

Following the presentation of Dan Flavin’s light installation "untitled (for Ksenija)", a collaborative project featuring sound pieces by students from Florian Hecker’s Sound and Experiment program (Bavarian Excellence Professorship Program – Academy of Fine Arts Munich) creates a new sensory environment at Kunstbau from December 2 to 7, 2025.

We dedicate both presentations to the memory of architect Uwe Kiessler (1937–2025), whose outstanding contributions have left a lasting impact on Munich’s architecture and cultural landscape.

Admission free

Curated by Johannes Michael Stanislaus 

With the generous support of the Förderverein Lenbachhaus e.V.