BONN.- The Bundeskunsthalle will make aesthetics the central theme of its 2027 program, using exhibitions devoted to beauty, fashion, photography, Japanese culture and contemporary art to examine the ways appearances shape identity, status and power.
Rather than approaching aesthetics simply as a question of art or personal taste, the program considers how ideas of beauty are formed by cultural, social and historical forces. Ideals surrounding the body, fashion and appearance can serve as codes through which societies communicate expectations and individuals construct their identities.
The year begins with "Beauty is Power: Helena Rubinstein—Pioneer of Modern Cosmetics," on view from February 26 through September 5. The first exhibition in Germany devoted to the self-made entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein examines a woman who challenged social conventions at a time when cosmetics were often regarded with suspicion.
Rubinstein promoted the idea that beauty could become a form of individual expression and self-determination. In the early 20th century, when makeup was still widely frowned upon, she encouraged women to identify and develop their own sense of beauty, eventually building one of the most influential businesses in the modern cosmetics industry.
Fashion and politics come together in "Trend Bureau. The GDR Fashion Institute," opening March 19 and continuing through September 12. The exhibition examines the role of East Germany's fashion institute from the 1960s through the upheavals surrounding German reunification.
The institute promoted the image of the modern socialist woman as someone expected to balance professional employment with responsibility for the household. At the same time, East German designers followed international fashion developments and adapted them to the political and economic realities of the German Democratic Republic. The exhibition will also consider the influence of magazines such as Sibylle, which offered women another space for fashion, individuality and self-expression.
From May 1 through November 1, "Interactions 2027" will extend the program beyond the museum galleries. Continuing the Bundeskunsthalle's tradition of presenting art outdoors, the project will place works in public settings intended to encourage encounters between art and visitors. The installations are conceived not only as opportunities to see contemporary art but as places for interaction and social connection.
Photography takes center stage with "Real Time. Wolfgang Tillmans," running from May 27 through October 3. The exhibition focuses on the extensive archive assembled by the internationally recognized German artist over more than four decades.
Rather than presenting photography alone, the project examines the enormous accumulation of visual and printed material surrounding Tillmans's practice. Magazines, articles, exhibition catalogs, flyers, invitations and other ephemera will form an installation in their own right, accompanied primarily by new photographs and video works.
Japanese approaches to beauty provide the focus of "Suki: The Spirit of Beauty in Japan," opening September 3 and continuing through January 30, 2028. The exhibition looks at aesthetic principles that have shaped Japanese gardens, architecture, art, craft and cuisine while also influencing contemporary design around the world.
Central to the exhibition is the idea of suki, associated with an appreciation for beauty and an elegance rooted in simplicity. The presentation will explore how Japanese aesthetics emerged through relationships with nature, history and other cultures rather than as a fixed or isolated tradition.
Emerging artists will come into focus with the Federal Prize for Art Students, on view from October 29, 2027 through January 9, 2028. Awarded every two years by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the prize has become an important platform for young artists studying at the country's art academies. Works by the prize recipients will be brought together in an exhibition highlighting new directions in contemporary artistic practice.
The year's central examination of beauty culminates with "Being/Beautiful: From Ideal to Staged Image," opening November 26 and continuing through June 5, 2028.
Taking iconic figures including Nefertiti, the Mona Lisa and Marilyn Monroe as reference points, the exhibition will trace the ways certain images have helped establish enduring concepts of beauty. Bringing together different historical and cultural perspectives, the show asks how aesthetic ideals are produced and why beauty has always involved more than individual taste.
Performance will also remain an important part of the Bundeskunsthalle's program. Its Live Arts series will bring international dance, theater, music and performance projects to Bonn throughout the year.
Among the scheduled productions is the Akram Khan Company's "Chotto Desh" in February, which combines Indian kathak and contemporary dance with spoken word, animation and music to tell the story of a young boy. In March, theater collective Rimini Protokoll will present "2076 (Live)," a science-fiction production performed in Bamako, Mali, and transmitted live to the Bundeskunsthalle's Forum.
The cultural program will extend beyond exhibitions and performances through STUDIO BONN, a series of public discussions examining major contemporary social and political questions while considering possible futures. Scheduled topics include "EUROPE: What can we learn from Brexit?" on September 30 and "GERMANY? Who we are and who we could be" on November 21.
Taken together, the 2027 program uses aesthetics as a way of examining far more than what societies consider beautiful. Across cosmetics, fashion, photography, art, design and performance, the exhibitions explore how appearances can express personal identity while also revealing the cultural expectations and power structures that shape them.
