Art Collections of Ruhr University Bochum: Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The art collections of Ruhr University Bochum offer a fascinating insight into the development of modern and contemporary art. Two years after the university was founded, art critic Albert Vellinghausen bequeathed his collection of gestural-abstract and constructive-concrete art to the institution. This collection, which includes works by artists such as Josef Albers and Cy Twombly, forms the foundation of the current exhibition. Thanks to the support of Paul Dierichs, significant works by Alberto Giacometti and Richard Serra were acquired in the 1970s. In the 1990s, the collection was expanded to include photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher as well as works by Gerhard Richter. The 2000s saw the addition of works by Imi Knoebel and Katharina Grosse. Today, the museum presents approximately 1,000 works of art in rotating exhibitions, complemented by thematic presentations and artistic interventions. The university’s architecture, a testament to Modernism, provides an impressive setting for the artworks and fosters a dialogue between the past and the present.