Nicole Eisenman, Arthur Jafa, Laura Owens and Seth Price in Confrontations. Pairings from the Collection

“Confrontations. Pairings from the Collection” brings together works from Museum Brandhorst’s holdings that, at first glance, seem to share neither an art-historical nor a formal relationship. The exhibition reveals how contrasts, contradictions, and unexpected resonances can generate productive tension—both aesthetically and socially. Rather than prescribing fixed interpretations, it opens up spaces for perception, emotion, and reflection, inviting visitors to trace their own connections and to question familiar ways of seeing.

A Christmas tree made of steel (Philippe Parreno) encounters a single red child’s shoe (Robert Gober); a photographic series from Venice (Tarrah Krajnak) meets a brightly painted rod (André Cadere); a giant Black Hulk action figure (Arthur Jafa) is placed next to a small winner’s podium (Rosemarie Trockel). It is precisely in these encounters that tension emerges—at times emotionally moving, at times humorous, at times captivating.