Isa Mona Lisa is the ironic and playful title chosen for a large-scale exhibition that provides a lively glimpse of recent art via a selection of unusual works by international contemporary artists. The title is taken from an eponymous photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968) of his artist colleague Isa Genzken (b. 1948), and both are represented with works in the exhibition. Visitors will encounter specially furnished artist rooms featuring new acquisitions by the Hamburger Kunsthalle, most of them presented for the first time, as well as iconic works from the collection and others that can now be put on display thanks to a recently launched collaboration with an important private collection in Hamburg. The selected exhibits – which include paintings, drawings, photographs and installations – will be presented throughout the basement floor of the Galerie der Gegenwart.

Featured artists: Etel Adnan, Elisa Alberti, Helene Appel, Alexandra Bircken, Louise Bourgeois, Thorsten Brinkmann, Nina Canell, Edith Dekyndt, Simon Denny, Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann, Noi Fuhrer, Asana Fujikawa, Isa Genzken, Donald Judd, Joachim Koester, Maria Lassnig, Jochen Lempert, Dan Lie, Melanie Manchot, Robert Morris, David Novros, Silke Otto-Knapp, Sigmar Polke, Neo Rauch, Gerhard Richter, Andreas Slominski, Andrzej Steinbach, Paul Thek, Wolfgang Tillmans, Thu Vân Trần, Haegue Yang.

For conservation reasons, not all works can be exhibited for the entire duration of the exhibition and will be replaced in between. We kindly ask for your understanding.

The works permanently installed in the basement are made by Bogomir Ecker, Jenny Holzer, Ilya Kabakov, Jannis Kounellis and Richard Serra.

(Curator: Dr. Brigitte Kölle, Head of Collection Contemporary Art)