Otto Piene, Untitled, 1959, Smoke drawing, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen

Hidden Treasures Unveiled: Museum Morsbroich Opens Its Newly Redesigned Print Room 

Due to the size of its collection—more than 4,000 works—and the light sensitivity of art on paper, Museum Morsbroich is unable to display the treasures of its print collection on a permanent basis. Thanks to the generous support of VR Bank Bergisch Gladbach-Leverkusen, the museum now features a showcase that allows visitors to experience these artistic treasures on paper firsthand.

Rotating exhibitions in the gallery provide insight into the museum’s rich holdings of prints and drawings from the 1950s to the present. The current exhibition, titled “Lichtgrafik,” features a selection of works from the museum’s collection in relation to the exhibition *gegen den Himmel. contre le ciel*: silkscreen prints, woodcuts, and lithographs; ink drawings and gouaches; as well as smoke drawings and light prints by artists such as Rupprecht Geiger, Raimund Girke, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Gerhard Richter, Antoni Tàpies, and Günther Uecker.

However, the new Print Room is no ordinary exhibition space; it was specially designed and furnished to facilitate an encounter with art on paper.

Harald F. Müller, the artist from the so-called “Werkstatt Morsbroich” who recently developed the new color schemes for the museum’s stairwells, chose a matte manganese gray for the gallery’s ceiling, creating a sophisticated setting that fosters concentration.

In the center, a long green table evokes the atmosphere of a classic study hall found in historic copperplate engraving cabinets: Here, visitors can not only view additional prints, special art books, and portfolios up close, but also, as part of guided tours or group events, have originals from the otherwise hidden print collection brought out for their viewing.

In addition, two large print cabinets invite visitors to open the drawers themselves and discover individual drawings and prints—each drawer conceals one of Morsbroich’s graphic treasures. Here, new works from the collection’s holdings are always waiting for curious visitors, who can also take catalogs and art books from a small reference library to the table to learn more about the artists and their works.

We look forward to seeing you!

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