Exhibition Tour Tapetenwechsel at the Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen

Tapetenwechsel at the Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen: Michael Beutler transforms space into an art experience

With the exhibition tour for Tapetenwechsel, the Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen offers a glimpse into an installation that makes the museum space itself the material. On July 2, 2026, Michael Beutler, together with museum director Julia Höner, will guide through a work that connects paper, workshop aesthetics, and architectural transformation to create a work perspective that is both sensual and knowledgeable.

When waste paper becomes sculpture

Michael Beutler develops his works from the process: Machines, tools, and production processes remain visible and make the creation of the installation immediately tangible. For Tapetenwechsel, old books and catalogs were processed into pulp, from which paper rolls were created and sculptural objects were fashioned that re-dress the rooms of the historic villa. This results in an exhibition atmosphere where material, form, and spatial effect meet on equal terms.

A villa as an artistic-craft production site

The site-specific work transforms the Kunstmuseum into a multi-story workshop. It is precisely this connection between artisanal production and artistic setting that defines the appeal of the project: The gaze follows not only finished objects but also the traces of their production. In doing so, Beutler connects to central questions of contemporary installation, where production aesthetics, social structure, and architectural context are considered together.

Between contemporary art and collection history

The Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen is known for its kinetic collection and has the largest municipal collection of this kind in Germany, with more than 80 international works. At the same time, the museum presents highlights of Modernism, an extensive graphic collection, and a contemporary exhibition program. Tapetenwechsel fits compellingly into this: The interactive component of the work bridges movement, the mechanical, and the idea of the museum as a place of vibrant cultural education.

A tour that connects seeing and thinking

The joint exhibition tour with Michael Beutler and Julia Höner promises not only insights into the artistic method but also into the curatorial perspective on an award-winning installation. Those who want to experience the transformation of material, space, and meaning in direct conversation will find a demanding art experience here with high aesthetic and museum pedagogical density.

Conclusion: This tour makes visible how radically poetic a museum space can change. Tapetenwechsel is aimed at all who do not just want to observe contemporary art but truly experience it in its emergence, materiality, and spatial effect. A visit is definitely worthwhile.

Official channels of Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stadtgelsenkirchen/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/StadtGelsenkirchen
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GelsenkirchenStadt
• Website: https://www.kunstmuseum-gelsenkirchen.de/

Sources:

• City of Gelsenkirchen - Art Prize of the Kunststiftung NRW – Nam June Paik Award 2026: Michael Beutler Tapetenwechsel
• City of Gelsenkirchen - Exhibition Tour Tapetenwechsel with Michael Beutler
• City of Gelsenkirchen - Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen
• Gallery Nagel Draxler - Michael Beutler
• Tique - Artist Feature Michael Beutler