Preview

Factory of Desires

Works from the LBBW Collection

29 January to 23 May 2027
Opening 28. January 2027, 19 pm

We live in an age of diverse dreams and desires – for consumer goods, but also for visibility, security, individuality and a sense of belonging. Where do these desires arise from, how do they shape our view of the world – and which of them do we embrace?

Through its collecting concept, the art collection of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) responds to key societal transformations – from globalisation and digitalisation to sustainability, migration and identity – and brings the complexity of contemporary society to light.

The Factory of Desires

In the title ‘factory’ does not refer to a specific place. It is used as a metaphor for a present state, in which not only goods, but also needs, values, and realities are produced. (Social) media, the economy, technology, politics, and culture shape our ideas of what is considered desirable – how we want to live, work, and look. The metaphor of the factory also draws attention to the downsides of this state: failure, the price of recognition, and the limits of growth and self-optimisation.

Through seven key collection themes – identity and cultural memory, economisation, digitalisation, the power of language, the aestheticisation of everyday life, strategies for appropriating images, environment and sustainability – visitors can experience how the LBBW’s corporate art collection intersects with contemporary issues and how artistic perspectives shape, reinforce, or challenge hopes and aspirations.

What do we desire – and who or what gives rise to this desire?

The more than 200 works in the exhibition reveal the mechanisms of seduction and value creation. They examine social attributions and power relations. They present counternarratives, reveal the interplay between humans and nature, and question the promises associated with consumption and technological progress. Artists demonstrate how notions of value and belonging develop, how our desires and self-perception are shaped by images – and ultimately, where opportunities to question existing order arise.

The LBBW Art Collection

With more than 3,000 works and a history spanning over fifty years, the LBBW Collection ranks among the most significant corporate collections of modern and contemporary art in Germany. In 2018, seven collection themes have been defined. Together with the guiding principle of ‘Collecting Contemporary’, these themes are consciously complemented by current artists from Germany, mediums ranging from painting, drawing, and photography through to sculpture, media art and large-scale installations.

Through exhibitions, collaborations with museums and participation in art fairs, educational programmes and international loans, LBBW makes its collection accessible to the public. In addition, significant works, such as paintings by Otto Dix, Hans Purrmann, and Hans Holbein the Elder, are on permanent loan to museums.

In Mainz, one of LBBW’s four headquarters, the LBBW Collection continues its social engagement with this extensive exhibition showcasing over 100 works from the collection. In keeping with Kunsthalle Mainz’ focus on contemporary art, the exhibition ‘Factory of Desires’ shows works from 1960 onwards.

Curated by LBBW Collection’s specialist art advisory board: Sarah Haberkorn (Head of the LBBW Collection), Nadia Ismail (Director of the Kunsthalle Giessen) and Gregor Jansen (former Director of the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf).

Learn more about the LBBW collection here.