His work is fascinating, his ideas are visionary: the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) magically attracts people. On March 15, 2025, the first Hundertwasser Forum opened in Lindau, in the former art museum at the Inselbahnhof. The facility is unique in Germany, it is being created in close cooperation with the Hundertwasser Gemeinnützige Privatstiftung Wien and will present the life and work of the artist in an exclusive series over the coming years.
"The Right to Dream" is the title of the opening exhibition at the Hundertwasser Forum, which will be on display until January 11, 2026. Hundertwasser unwaveringly realized his own dreams and visions. His work and influence reflect his striving for a more peaceful, harmonious world. From early watercolors and paintings to original Japanese woodblock prints and silkscreens, which develop a unique expressive power through his technical innovations in printing, the exhibition presents Hundertwasser's unmistakable colors and dreamlike pictorial worlds. His works show what drove him and what he stood for: a life in harmony with nature and the freedom of individual creativity. His art is a timeless appeal for peace, whose message is more relevant today than ever.
The Forum invites visitors to embark on a journey through Hundertwasser's dreams and visions and to experience the special combination of art, nature and architecture. Lindau, the island in Lake Constance, surrounded by water, offers the ideal setting for this. Especially as the artist himself once visited Lake Constance and expressed his enthusiasm. The idea for the forum was inspired by the great success of the Hundertwasser exhibition in Lindau in 2019. Around 90,000 visitors saw the exhibition back then. In addition to the exhibition, the new art forum now offers a varied accompanying program that includes educational projects, panel discussions and film screenings.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, ANTIPODE ISLAND, 1975 © 2024 NAMIDA AG, Glarus/CH, Collection
Christian Baha
Head of the Department of Culture Alexander Warmbrunn explains: "Anchoring the Hundertwasser Art Forum in our former art museum near the station is a unique opportunity. The space became available after our special exhibition returned to the Cavazzen. With Hundertwasser, we are presenting an artist who inspired people, lived environmental protection and will be celebrated worldwide on the occasion of his 100th birthday in 2028. Our visitors will also have the opportunity to get to know Hundertwasser and the new Cavazzen with a combined ticket - a cultural offer that will benefit locals and visitors alike all year round."
The show is curated by Dr. Sophie Sümmermann, the art historian who made her debut in Lindau last year with the special exhibition on Christo and Jeanne-Claude and is now looking forward to the new project: "Hundertwasser is not only a master of color and form, but also a visionary thinker whose ideas inspire us today more than ever. This special combination of art and nature, coupled with a deep ecological awareness, invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the environment. It is a particularly exciting task as a curator to present his multifaceted world and share the timeless relevance of his messages."
March 15, 2025 to January 11, 2026
www.kultur-lindau.de
www.museum-lindau.de
