Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art

Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art
Low, flat former substation building with black-and-white abstract lettering on the exterior
MUCA main building at Hotterstraße 12 (2017)
Established2016
LocationHotterstraße 12, 80331 Munich, Germany
Coordinates48°08′12″N 11°34′12″E / 48.13669°N 11.56993°E / 48.13669; 11.56993
TypeArt museum
FounderStephanie Utz, Christian Utz
Websitewww.muca.eu

The Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) is an art museum in Munich, Germany. Founded by Stephanie and Christian Utz, it opened on 9 December 2016 in a former municipal electricity substation at Hotterstraße 12 in the city’s Altstadt district.[1]

MUCA presents changing exhibitions of urban art and contemporary art across several sites, including the adjacent MUCA Bunker and the interim arts centre KUNSTLABOR 2 at Dachauer Straße 90 (approved in 2019; opened in 2021; authorisation to 2026).[2][3][4] Notable exhibitions have included Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things (2023–2024), reviewed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Wallpaper*, and artworks such as Banksy’s Girl Without Balloon in 2025.[5][6][7]

History

MUCA opened on 9 December 2016 and was initiated by Stephanie and Christian Utz.[8]

Buildings and sites

Main building

The museum occupies a former municipal electricity substation at Hotterstraße 12 in Munich’s Altstadt.[9]

MUCA Bunker

Rectangular concrete air-raid shelter with small windows and blank walls
MUCA Bunker (Hochbunker Hotterstraße), exterior (2011).

An adjacent Second World War air‑raid shelter serves as an additional exhibition space known as the MUCA Bunker.[10]

KUNSTLABOR 2

Street facade of the former municipal health department building at Dachauer Straße 90
Former municipal health department building at Dachauer Straße 90 (2008), later used for KUNSTLABOR 2.

Since 2021 MUCA has operated KUNSTLABOR 2, an interim arts centre in the former municipal health department at Dachauer Straße 90. The project was approved in 2019 and has an authorisation running to 2026.[11][12][13]

Governance and funding

The museum is privately operated by the founders. The non‑profit MUCA Foundation was established in 2019 to support exhibitions and educational activities.[14]

Notable exhibitions

Ikonen der Urban Art (2020), MUCA main building; coverage noted works by Banksy among others.[15]

Max Zorn: City Lights (21 October 2022 – 10 September 2023), MUCA Bunker; solo display of illuminated tape works by Dutch artist Max Zorn.[16][17]

Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things (26 October 2023 – 24 November 2024), MUCA main building; survey spanning four decades, reviewed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Wallpaper*.[18][19][20]

Banksy: Girl Without Balloon (display), MUCA Bunker: 14 February – 13 April 2025, and again 25 July – 26 October 2025.[21][22][23][24]

Reception and criticism

In March 2024, The Guardian reported that several Damien Hirst formaldehyde works dated to the 1990s were made in 2017. The article noted that MUCA’s label for a dissected shark listed the date as 1993, and quoted a museum spokesperson stating that MUCA displayed catalogue information as provided by the artist’s studio.[25]


References

  1. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (8 December 2016). "Von der Straße ins Museum". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  2. ^ Effern, Heiner; Christiane Lutz (25 July 2019). "Urban-Art-Museum MUCA darf ins Gesundheitshaus". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  3. ^ Moises, Jürgen (14 October 2021). "Eröffnung: Aus dem Münchner Gesundheitshaus wird das „Kunstlabor 2"". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  4. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (25 January 2024). "Zwischennutzungsprojekt »Kunstlabor 2« – Gekommen, um zu bleiben?". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. ^ Scheer, Ursula (26 October 2023). "Der spielt doch nur mit dem Tod: Damien Hirst im MUCA in München". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  6. ^ Abrams, Amah Rose (30 October 2023). "The Weight of Things: Damien Hirst curates his retrospective in Munich". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  7. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (11 February 2025). "Das geschredderte Banksy Kunstwerk kommt nach München". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  8. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (8 December 2016). "Von der Straße ins Museum". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA)". Munich Tourism (munich.travel). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA): Exhibitions and information for your visit". muenchen.de. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  11. ^ Effern, Heiner; Christiane Lutz (25 July 2019). "Urban-Art-Museum MUCA darf ins Gesundheitshaus". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. ^ Moises, Jürgen (14 October 2021). "Eröffnung: Aus dem Münchner Gesundheitshaus wird das „Kunstlabor 2"". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  13. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (25 January 2024). "Zwischennutzungsprojekt »Kunstlabor 2« – Gekommen, um zu bleiben?". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Foundation". MUCA. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  15. ^ Moises, Jürgen (29 October 2020). "Banksy Werke im MUCA: Zeit der Ruhestörer". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  16. ^ "City Lights – Max Zorn im MUCA Bunker". Museen in Bayern (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  17. ^ "City Lights – Tape Art Max Zorn". MUCA. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  18. ^ Scheer, Ursula (26 October 2023). "Der spielt doch nur mit dem Tod: Damien Hirst im MUCA in München". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  19. ^ Abrams, Amah Rose (30 October 2023). "The Weight of Things: Damien Hirst curates his retrospective in Munich". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things". MUCA. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  21. ^ Vogel, Evelyn (11 February 2025). "Das geschredderte Banksy Kunstwerk kommt nach München". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  22. ^ ""Girl Without Balloon" at the MUCA Bunker". MUCA. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Banksy – Girl without Balloon". Museen in Bayern. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Banksy – Girl without Balloon (exhibition page)". MUCA. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. ^ McClenaghan, Maeve (19 March 2024). "Damien Hirst formaldehyde animal works dated to 1990s were made in 2017". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
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