50 years of the Bochum art collections: mega exhibition about work starts!

50 years of the Bochum art collections: mega exhibition about work starts!

The celebrations for an important anniversary begin on May 13, 2025: The art collections of the Ruhr University Bochum are celebrating their 50th birthday. As part of this anniversary, the exhibition “Half a Life: Forms of Work in Art and History” is taking place. The opening is scheduled for May 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the underground museum, Nevelstraße 29c, 44795 Bochum.

This comprehensive exhibition runs until October 26, 2025 and addresses the connection between work and art over almost 3,000 years. The wide-ranging concept includes exhibits from the ancient art collection and the coin collection, which create a dialogue between historical holdings and contemporary art. Visitors can look forward to more than 100 exhibits, including antique objects, coins and works by contemporary artists.

Thematic focuses and exhibits

The exhibition is divided into several central themes: consuming, repairing, producing, distributing, transforming, as well as leisure and sport. Ancient exhibits such as coins with Heracles motifs or depictions of music and sport offer an exciting look into the past, while 13 contemporary artists are represented in film, photography, sculpture, textiles as well as spatial and sound installations. This combination shows the development and change of work attitudes over the centuries.

The curators of the exhibition, including Dr. Soi Agelidis and Prof. Dr. Jon Albers, worked on this exhibition together with students from the Faculty of History at the Ruhr University Bochum. They aim to illustrate to audiences the profound interactions between work and pleasure since ancient times.

Opening times and entrance fees

The exhibition opening times are Wednesday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is 6 euros, reduced price 4 euros. These prizes enable the general public to take part in this important cultural event.

The roots of the museums that enable such important events as the anniversary exhibition go back to the Middle Ages. While museums continue to evolve, they have established themselves as important places of cultural education since the 19th century. Historians like Krzysztof Pomian document the development of museums and their interactions with society. Museums are not just repositories, they also function as educational venues that promote cultural understanding and the exchange of ideas, which is beneficial to the local economy by attracting tourists and creating jobs freizeit-und-spiele.de.