Celle Museum of Art, featuring the Robert Simon collection

The world’s first 24 hour art museum

39854828 – with this number, a unique museum concept was registered with the German Trademark and Patent Office in Munich: the world's first 24-hour art museum. Morning, noon, evenings and night, the Celle’s Art Museum offers encounters with modern and contemporary art from the Robert Simon collection and various, alternating specialist exhibitions. A 24-hour art museum means there is something to discover around the clock: during the day, the paintings, graphics, sculptures, light displays and artefacts are shown within a classic, interior setting. At night, however, the focus switches to the exterior of the museum; the building may be closed, but it becomes the setting for highly original, creative light installations on and behind the glass façade of the museum and is well worth a visit. Those who wish to see everything this unique building has to offer come twice: both day and night. Celle’s Museum of Art is located directly opposite the Residence Palace in the historic city centre, next to the Bomann Museum.

The Robert Simon collection (one of Germany’s foremost art collectors and an honorary director of the museum), has been expanded for over three decades and is one of the museum’s most important permanent exhibitions.   Another main highlight is the “light room” - specially designed for Celle by the ZERO artist Otto Piene, who also created the light frieze “Zone Zero” and the monumental sculptures “Fireworks for Celle”. These, alongside works by artists including Brigitte Kowanz, Klaus Geldmacher, Francesco Mariotti, Vollrad Kutscher and Leonardo Mosso, are among the spectacular highlights of the nocturnal ‘Parcours’ light installation which illuminates the museum’s exterior at night.  

The museum houses an extensive collection of multiple artworks by Joseph Beuys. In addition, other artists whose work is prominently represented in the collection include  Dieter Krieg, Timm Ulrichs, Ben Willikens and Peter Basseler; plus work by professors and graduates from Lower Saxony's outstanding art college in Braunschweig. Another focus and special area of the collection is the “New Objectivity of the 1920’s” with drawings and paintings by the Hanoverian artists Erich Wegner and Grethe Jürgens.

Crossing the boundaries of artistic currents, genres and disciplines, the remarkable holdings of the collection are constantly networked in new directions and complemented by a contrasting programme of special exhibitions, art activities, theatre events, lectures, artist talks, concerts, readings and workshops.