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MGK museum of contemporary art

The Museum für Gegenwartskunst (also known as MGK Siegen), located near the Unteres Schloss, presents paintings, photographs, video art, spatial and temporal installations and many more artworks from 1915 to the present day.

The building itself reflects the strong bonds between history and the present: renowned architect Josef Paul Kleihues skilfully combined the historic circular structure built in 1897 as a telegraph office in the Wilhelmine style with a modern new building facing the courtyard of the Unteres Schloss. A concrete wall with a large video screen impressively catches the eye.

The centrepiece of the museum is the Lambrecht-Schadeberg collection, which incorporates works from all 13 of the city’s Rubens Prize-winners. Every five years, in partnership with MGK Siegen, the city confers the Rubens Prize on European artists who have come to prominence through significant achievements and works. A second area is dominated by photography, video art and installations. Presented here are works by the talented generation of 1960s artists who helped to blur the boundaries between genres, among them Bernd and Hilla Becher, Terry Fox, Hans Haacke, Nancy Holt, Nam June Paik, Otto Piene, Charlotte Posenenske, Yvonne Rainer, William Wegman, Stephen Willats and several others.

Families, kindergarten children, school groups and young people are warmly welcomed at the open museum, where they can see how art is created at close quarters by taking part in enjoyable creative workshops and holiday activities. A new section of the building houses the Ristorante e Piazza Brasserie, which has a spacious beer garden overlooking the Baroque Unteres Schloss.

Information:

Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen 
Unteres Schloss 1
57072 Siegen
Tel. 0271 40577-0
www.mgksiegen.de 

Brasserie
Owner: Mauro Fazio
Unteres Schloss 1
57072 Siegen
Tel. 0271 231632-0
brasserie-siegen.de