Jeppe Hein

It's that time of year again: we are ringing in the summer with Jeppe Hein's fountain, which provides cooling relief on the forecourt of the Lenbachhaus when the summer gets too hot. A wall of water springs up, blocking the view of the Propylaea. It is only when someone has the courage to walk right up to it that it abruptly collapses, opening a path into the fountain or out of it. A little later, the gate closes again, leaving the interior sealed from the plaza and neighboring streets by curtains of water.

"A technically consummate, smart, witty, megalomaniacal work" was what Silke Hohmann, writing in Monopol, called Jeppe Hein’s interactive water pavilion "Space in Action / Action in Space". Like many of the Danish artist’s works, it invites the public: to come closer, to not be shy in the presence of art, to get involved, to become active. Hein creates a place for passersby’s playful curiosity and encouraging them to make the fountain their own—as a moment of rest or as a meeting place, a scene of fun and delight.

Acquired in 2002 with support from Jubiläums-Stiftung der Deutsche Bank AG Filiale München, Munich, in favor of the Lenbachhaus, the interactive water pavilion "Space in Action / Action in Space" is now coming back for an encore on the museum plaza in 2026.

Water pavilion hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am–8 pm
Museum plaza in front of the Lenbachhaus