Established in 2017, Various Others is Munich’s international festival for contemporary art. The initiative aims to showcase the diversity and quality of Munich’s art scene, as well as promoting international exchange. VO emphasizes cooperation, both among the 17 Munich galleries, 16 institutions and 6 artist-run spaces involved, and with national and international guests, including galleries, institutions, independent spaces, curators and, of course, the artists presenting in Munich.
Two new participating VO galleries, the recently inaugurated Munich branch of Galerie Friese and Behncke Gallery, will be part of VO’26. Collaboration is central to Various Others, and the organization is pleased to announce the following partnerships: max goelitz (Hauser & Wirth), Lohaus Sominsky (Kamel Mennour, Paris), Behncke Gallery (SEXAUER, Berlin), Knust Kunz Gallery Editions (Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London) Galerie Friese (Bildlabor Kleistpark, Berlin), Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle (Travesía Cuatro, Madrid), Kraupa- Tuskany Zeidler (T293, Rome) and Walter Storms (Dirimart, Istanbul). Christine Mayer has invited printers and publishers to complement her presentation. Others, such as nouveaux deuxdeux, Françoise Heitsch (Beral Madra) and Jahn und Jahn (Matthew James Holman) are collaborating with international curators on their shows. Britta Rettberg and Sperling will present duo solo exhibitions with guest artists, and the solo shows at Paulina Caspari, JO VAN DE LOO and Deborah Schamoni will complete this year’s gallery program.
pip and EYES ONLY are recent additions to the VO artist-run spaces. This year, their programs feature several strong collaborations: EYES ONLY is showing work by Karin Sander (Esther Schipper), GiG Munich is teaming up with the Munich-based gallery The Tiger Room once again, and Space n.n. hosts AlmResidency. pip is collaborating with Frankfurter Hauptschule and will be a guest at Studio D40. Nebyula hosts Feiertag (Kassel) and is showing a group exhibition at SOSOSO Space. Milchstraße 4 is also presenting a collaborative project.
This May, many participating institutions will be inaugurating new exhibitions and preparing captivating events for VO. Museum Brandhorst will open a comprehensive group show called „Carrying“, and Haus der Kunst will present a new edition of their Tune sound residency series. After undergoing renovations, Museum Villa Stuck will reopen with no less than four new exhibitions, the Lenbachhaus will open a group exhibition „A Long-Distance Call: Scenes from the Weimar Republic“, and Pinakothek der Moderne will return to Herrenchiemsee Palace with the second part of „Are We Still Up to It?“ — Art & Democracy. beacon will show an exhibition with works from the collection and numerous other institutions, including the ERES Foundation, Espace Louis Vuitton München, Sammlung Goetz, Kunstraum München, Kunstverein München, Lothringer 13, Metropol Kunstraum, NS-Dokumentationszentrum München, Kunsthalle München, and Salta Art, will participate by hosting exciting events to accompany their current exhibitions.
This year, the VO Special complements the diverse program of the VO venues, providing ample opportunity to explore Munich’s art world and local life. Drawng inspirations from Jan Hoet’s „Chambers d’Amis“ and situated at the intersection of art and technology, “Vectors” will transform select corporate spaces into temporary exhibition spaces. This exhibition, which takes the form of a walking tour, will be curated by a group of international curators, each of whom will oversee a specific venue. Further details about this year’s VO Special will be released soon.
VARIOUS OTHERS 2026
May 14 – 24, 2026
Opening Weekend: May 14 – 17, 2026
Information about the program: www.variousothers.com
VARIOUS OTHERS (VO) is the international festival format of VFAMK e.V. VO initiates cooperations and promotes international exchange between private galleries, public institutions, between the local art scene and international actors, and, of course, between Munich’s audience and guests from around the world. Since its founding, the broad anchoring in the city, combined with international orientation and openness, has made Various Others an incomparable art experience. For 10 days, Munich welcomes artists, curators, and art enthusiasts and invites them to experience Munich’s diversity, hospitality, and special characteristics up close. In addition to the 39 Munich participants, more than a dozen institutional guests and numerous curators are participating this year. Together, over 250 artists present themselves within the framework of Various Others, offering a varied program that provides a comprehensive experience of Munich’s art scene.
Furthermore, since 2024, VFAMK e.V. also operates Filter Munich, a website and physical map providing year-round information about contemporary art in Munich. Filter Munich is accompanied by a newsletter that provides monthly information about events in more than 50 Munich galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces. Both formats enjoy not only steadily growing interest from Munich’s participants, as well as long-term support from private individuals and companies. (www.variousothers.com/partner), making Various Others a truly unique initiative.
