The following text refers to the concept of the permanent exhibition as it was on display at Oranienstraße 25 in Berlin-Kreuzberg until November 2023. Due to relocation to Leipziger Straße 54 in Berlin-Mitte, a new permanent exhibition is currently being planned. It will open at our new location in November 2024.
The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge shows a significant part of its extensive collections on design and everyday culture of the 20th and 21st centuries in a display collection with the aesthetics of an “open storage”.
As a museum, the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is a laboratory aimed at constantly renewing our perception of the history of things from the standpoint of contemporary commodity culture. Its goal is to explore the museum space and the potential for aesthetic education in museums and exhibitions. Exhibition projects continuously re-examine, interpret and develop the collection. These investigations primarily explore the legacy of the Werkbund, various curatorial approaches, and fundamental principles of design and day-to-day material culture.
Various series or formats have been defined for the temporary exhibitions:
“Quality/Interpretation/Order of Things”
A format that serves to address fundamental topics of the museum collection and the museum’s field of work “product and consumer culture of the 20th and 21st centuries” in the context of the discourse on material culture.
“Heritage” (DWB-close)
A format to ensure the visibility of the Werkbund-specific legacies, the document collection and the linking of document and object collections.
“Show Collections”
A format that deals with collection concepts and differences between private and public collecting. It’s about looking at various collections and donations as well as presenting your own and other people’s collections in comparison.
“Museum Contexts”
A format in which museological questions are reflected in order to position the Museum der Dinge in the museum landscape.
There are also presentations in cooperation with various educational partners in the field of cultural education.