JEPPE HEIN
SPACE IN ACTION / ACTION IN SPACE
LENBACHHAUS, MUNICH, GERMANY
22 MAY – 20 SEPTEMBER 2026
It's that time of year again: summer starts with Jeppe Hein's fountain, which provides cooling relief on the forecourt of the Lenbachhaus when the summer gets too hot. A wall of water springs up, blocking the view of the Propylaea. It is only when someone has the courage to walk right up to it that it abruptly collapses, opening a path into the fountain or out of it. A little later, the gate closes again, leaving the interior sealed from the plaza and neighboring streets by curtains of water.
"A technically consummate, smart, witty, megalomaniacal work" was what Silke Hohmann, writing in Monopol, called Jeppe Hein’s interactive water pavilion SPACE IN ACTION / ACTION IN SPACE. Like many of the Danish artist’s works, it invites the public: to come closer, to not be shy in the presence of art, to get involved, to become active. Hein creates a place for passersby’s playful curiosity and encouraging them to make the fountain their own—as a moment of rest or as a meeting place, a scene of fun and delight.
Acquired in 2002 with support from Jubiläums-Stiftung der Deutsche Bank AG Filiale München, Munich, in favor of the Lenbachhaus, the interactive water pavilion SPACE IN ACTION / ACTION IN SPACE is now coming back for an encore on the forecourt in 2026.
The fountain is a further step towards the goal of improving the quality of the forecourt as a place to spend time. Further events and activities will take place in summer 2026 as part of the "Buntes Garten Ciao" initiative.
Water pavilion hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 11 AM –10 PM
Forecourt in front of the Lenbachhaus
© Text Lehnbachhaus