In 2023 a new showroom measuring around 3000 m² was opened. The completely redesigned cultural space (A&T5-10) arose from the re-conception of a basement space, which used to house a printing facility and a former patent archive, spaces which were no longer needed following the Office's digital and ecological transformation. After almost two years of revitalising the space, a totally new concept of use emerged, transforming a storage space into a connect space for people. A number of permanent and temporary exhibitions oscillate around history and heritage, art and technology, creativity and innovation: The EPO art collection can now be discovered in innovative formats, such as an open storage and in a special themed exhibition on art and climate change. A new laboratory of the future focuses on the impact of technology on society. An artist's studio shows interventions of young artists from Eastern Europe. A black box was created to showcase immersive projects and site-specific commissioned works. The Cosmic bar was designed by artist Esther Stocker.
The showroom is accessible to the general public once a year (Save-the-date: Long Night of Museums in Munich, 18.10.2025).
https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/art
Launch year:
1978-1980
Number of artworks:
ca. 1000
Status of collection:
International
Artistic domain:
The EPO's art collection has its origins in the relationship between contemporary art and the world of work. Since the beginning, its focus has always been on international contemporary art, reflecting the EPO’s ambition to mirror the diversity and richness of the contemporary European culture which exists in the EPO member states. Initiated in 1980, the collection is continuously expanding through the acquisition and commission of new artworks, including those created by next-generation artists who were born in any of the currently 39 member states of the EPO. Machine-based aesthetics of the 1960s, kinetic light installations, op art and constructive works by established international artists form the backbone of the collection. Based on these origins, post-conceptual, neo-conceptual and post-minimal art as well as non-figurative tendencies shape the profile of the collection. Numerous artists are engaged with science, technology and intellectual questions or adopt working methods from scientific practice and sustainable development. Others address issues related to the interfaces between artistic theory and production and reflect the complexity of today’s rapidly changing knowledge society. Young, emerging artists address cutting-edge topics of our time, including those surrounding artificial intelligence, net art, sustainability and the data economy. Artistic genres include installation, photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, prints, light art, murals and video art.
Commission program / Site-specific order(s) :
Site-specific commissions and collaborative practices with contemporary artists are a pertinent activity of the EPO art collection, which coined its profile from its inception. In more than 40 years, nearly 40 large-scale commissions were realised in the EPO, amongst others by: Tomás Saraceno, Jeppe Hein, John M Armleder, Heimo Zobernig, Katarina Löfström, Philippe Decrauzat, Marie-Thérèse Vacossin, Beat Zoderer, Susanne Pittroff, Steven Rand, Fausto Melotti, André Volten, Philip King, Nicolas Schöffer, Eduardo Paolozzi, Jaroslaw Flicínski, Max Bill, Panamarenko, Chihiro Shimotani, Yoshiuki Miura, Nikolaus Gerhart, Hannsjörg Voth, Liet Heringa/Maarten Van Kalsbeek, Hannsjörg Voth, Bernhard Luginbühl, Maurizio Nannucci, Esther Stocker, Quadrature, Gil Delindro, Noor Nuyten, Lidia Sigle, Irene Sauter, Dorotea Dolinšek, Davide Quayola, Jai Young Park, Markus Stangl, Christian Hinz, Aemilia Papaphilippou, Takis
About the company
Launch year:
1977
International presence:
Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium.
Annual revenue:
€2.357 billion (2020)
Number of employees:
6,403 (Dec. 2020)
Profile of the company:
The European Patent Office (EPO) is the second-largest European public service institution, with the European Patent Organisation having the status of an intergovernmental organization. Its core activity is the examination of patent applications and the grant of European patents, as well as providing patent information on a global scale. The mission of the EPO is to promote innovation, competitiveness and economic growth across Europe setting a benchmark for best patenting practice through a commitment to high quality and efficient services delivered under the European Patent Convention. The EPO headquarters are located in Munich, Germany. The EPO has also a branch in Rijswijk, Netherlands, near The Hague, sub-offices in Berlin, Germany, and Vienna, Austria, and an office for liaison with the EU institutions in Brussels, Belgium.