MUNICH.- “Confrontations. Pairings from the Collection” brings together works from Museum Brandhorst’s holdings that, at first glance, seem to share neither an art-historical nor a formal relationship. The exhibition reveals how contrasts, contradictions, and unexpected resonances can generate productive tension—both aesthetically and socially. Rather than prescribing fixed interpretations, it opens up spaces for perception, emotion, and reflection, inviting visitors to trace their own connections and to question familiar ways of seeing.

A Christmas tree made of steel (Philippe Parreno) encounters a single red child’s shoe (Robert Gober); a photographic series from Venice (Tarrah Krajnak) meets a brightly painted rod (André Cadere); a giant Black Hulk action figure (Arthur Jafa) is placed next to a small winner’s podium (Rosemarie Trockel). It is precisely in these encounters that tension emerges—at times emotionally moving, at times humorous, at times captivating.

Encounters

Each work of art unfolds its meaning not only through interaction with the object placed opposite it, but especially through the individual perspectives of the viewers. The perception of art is not static; it responds to contexts and surroundings. In this way, each of the “Confrontations” carries the potential for a new encounter, one that also allows for contradictions. In this sense, confrontation presents itself not only as friction but also as an opportunity for openness and transformation.

Perspectives

At the heart of the show are the artists’ individual works, each bringing their own history, practice, and conditions of creation. Only in dialogue do new readings emerge, revealing what art knows to tell itself and us beyond art-historical narratives. Which stories come to the fore and which recede? Which perspectives shift? And what do the confrontations reveal about our present—shaped by social tension, political polarization, and cultural upheaval?

“Affective proximity is a thing that happens when two things come together. Certain things seek to be next to other things.” -- Arthur Jafa in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, 2020.

A conceptual point of reference is the practice of the American artist Arthur Jafa, whose artwork is extensively represented in the Brandhorst Collection. In many of his pieces, it is the intelligent yet striking montage of starkly contrasting imagery that captivates viewers. He himself uses the term “affective proximity” for this kind of juxtaposition, a phrase coined by the British artist John Akomfrah. One gallery of the exhibition is dedicated to such inherent juxtapositions in the works of Jafa, as well as those of other artists in the collection. Beyond that, we invited Arthur Jafa to contribute his own “Confrontation” from our holdings. For this, he selected Andy Warhol’s “Diamond Dust Shadow” (1979) and Richard Prince’s “Live Free or Die 3” (1987).

The exhibition brings together fifty-five works by thirty-nine artists, encompassing a wide range of positions, styles, media, and formats. These include eight new acquisitions—among them Louis Fratino, “Garden at Dusk” (2024), and Philippe Parreno, “Silent Transformation (Anathema)” (2022)—as well as thirteen works from the Brandhorst Collection that have never been shown before, such as Richard Hamilton, “Kent State” (1970), and Rosemarie Trockel, “Untitled” (1984). Each work is accompanied by a text that provides background information on practice and context. It is not the museum that constructs a definitive interpretation; rather, visitors themselves enter into dialogue with the works, create connections, and allow themselves to be drawn into moments of friction and surprise.

With works by: Monika Baer, Nairy Baghramian, Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Alexandra Bircken, James Lee Byars, André Cadere, Nicole Eisenman, Jana Euler, Louis Fratino, Lee Friedlander, Robert Gober, Richard Hamilton, Keith Haring, Rachel Harrison, Damien Hirst, Arthur Jafa, Mike Kelley, Tarrah Krajnak, Louise Lawler, Zoe Leonard, Tala Madani, Mario Merz, Tatsuo Miyajima, Philippe Parreno, Pope.L, Richard Prince, Raymond Saunders, Jim Shaw, Amy Sillman, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, Cy Twombly, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, Shin Yanagisawa

Curated by: Monika Bayer-Wermuth, Chief Curator, Museum Brandhorst, and Lena Tilk, Research Associate, Museum Brandhorst