BMW-backed Preis der Nationalgalerie 2026 opens Maurizio Cattelan's NIGHT at Neue Nationalgalerie
The Neue Nationalgalerie opens Maurizio Cattelan's first major solo exhibition in Germany, NIGHT, with BMW continuing its support of the Preis der Nationalgalerie since 2006.
- 10 September 2026 – 7 March 2027
- 9 September 2026, 9 PM
- 2006
- 2000
What Happened
The Neue Nationalgalerie presents 'NIGHT', the first major solo exhibition in Germany by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, recipient of the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2026. Conceived for Mies van der Rohe's glass hall, the exhibition brings together seminal historical works and new commissions in an installation that lends the museum the character of a contemporary church. It is curated by Lisa Botti, curator at the Neue Nationalgalerie, with Klaus Biesenbach, director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, in close collaboration with Cattelan. The exhibition takes shape around themes of history, power, memory, identity and belief. Familiar images and figures are altered just enough to unsettle their meaning, opening them up to readings that move between irony and ambiguity, and in dialogue with Mies van der Rohe's architecture Cattelan's works activate the building not as a container but as part of the exhibition itself.
“Night is not simply the absence of light. It is a condition. The exhibition is not about darkness. It is about the loss of certainty. Night is also temporary — it always contains the possibility of morning, even if you cannot see it yet.”
- 'Purgatory' (2026): a new commission that places a scaled-down Brandenburg Gate inside the museum, turning one of Germany's most recognisable monuments into a threshold to walk around and through, repositioned as a space of passage, reflection and historical ambiguity.
- 'Him' (2001) and 'Dawn' (2007): at the centre of the hall, a kneeling male figure in contemplative pose and a female figure suspended in cruciform posture within a transport crate establish a strong vertical axis.
- 'People' (2026, first shown in Venice in 1997): thousands of taxidermied pigeons settle across the ceiling structure, reshaping the space into a place of collective gathering and quiet observation.
- 'Never' (2003): high on the roof, an animatronic child drummer drawn from the protagonist of Günter Grass's 'The Tin Drum' appears as a figure of resistance and warning whose irregular beat rings out across the city, between parade and alarm.
- 'Scar' (2026): on the museum terrace, a cast-iron manhole cover inscribed with the titles of every work in the show condenses the exhibition into language at street level.
- 'After' (2026) and 'Dust' (2026): two further new commissions measuring time and mortality — a six-metre iron pipe struck like a bell with a sleeping dog at its centre, and a fire extinguisher holding the cremated remains of a friend of the artist, realised in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.
The Preis der Nationalgalerie, founded by the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie in 2000, has established itself over the past 25 years as one of the most significant awards for contemporary art. Since its inception, it has honored artistic practices that have significantly influenced contemporary art and presented them to a broad audience in Berlin. In 2026, the prize enters a new phase through its move into the iconic glass hall at the Neue Nationalgalerie, becoming a singular opportunity for an artist to realise a focused and ambitious presentation. BMW has supported the prize as a long-standing partner since 2006.
Maurizio Cattelan (born 1960 in Padua, Italy) has for more than three decades been one of the defining voices in international contemporary art, developing sculptures, installations and conceptual interventions that engage with authority, collective memory and social power. His work has been shown worldwide, including several Venice Biennales and major solo exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York ('All', 2011) and the Monnaie de Paris ('Not Afraid of Love', 2016). 'NIGHT' marks his return to Berlin 20 years after he co-curated the 4th Berlin Biennale in 2006. The jury for the 2026 award included Emma Lavigne, director of the Pinault Collection, Paris; Sam Keller, director of the Fondation Beyeler, Basel; and Klaus Biesenbach, director of the Neue Nationalgalerie. In addition to the jurors, the curators of the Nationalgalerie and the members of the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie were eligible to submit nominations.
The Preis der Nationalgalerie is founded by the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie.
BMW becomes a long-standing partner of the prize; BMW is also the inaugural partner supporting the 4th Berlin Biennale, co-curated by Maurizio Cattelan.
BMW and Cattelan first cross paths at Rencontres d'Arles, where Cattelan works with photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari on a special project around the all-electric BMW i3, the Spaghetti Car, covered in spaghetti-themed foil and addressing art, consumption and sustainability; Cattelan also has a solo exhibition at the Monnaie de Paris, 'Not Afraid of Love'.
The exhibition opens at 9 PM.
The exhibition runs at the Neue Nationalgalerie.
- Exhibition duration: 10 September 2026 – 7 March 2027 at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Straße 50, 10785 Berlin.
- Opening: Wednesday, 9 September 2026, 9 PM.
- During Berlin Art Week, opening hours are extended from 10 AM to 10 PM from Thursday 10 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
- A pop-up book by Papersmyths Ltd accompanies the exhibition and is available from the museum shop and online from the SMB Webshop and the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie Webshop.
- The exhibition is presented as part of the Preis der Nationalgalerie, made possible by FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie and supported by BMW.
- Alongside the prize, BMW Group's long-term commitments in Berlin include Gallery Weekend Berlin; it also collaborates with the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and this year hosted the 20th edition of the open-air event 'Staatsoper für alle' on Bebelplatz. Updates on BMW Group Cultural Engagement can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.
Why this matters
For a beginner, this is a reminder that automakers like BMW spend on cultural sponsorship as well as vehicles. BMW has backed the Preis der Nationalgalerie since 2006, and the award's 2026 edition gives Cattelan a major Berlin museum show. Museum visitors in Berlin and followers of BMW's cultural engagement are the main audiences.
Terms in This Story
- Preis der Nationalgalerie
- Germany's most prestigious museum award for contemporary art, presented by the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.
- Neue Nationalgalerie
- A Berlin museum housed in a building designed by Mies van der Rohe; the exhibition takes place in its glass hall.
- Mies van der Rohe
- Architect whose glass hall at the Neue Nationalgalerie is the setting for the exhibition.
- Berlin Art Week
- A Berlin art event during which the exhibition's opening hours are extended.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.