Niki de Saint Phalle
Dream Machine
10 September 2026 – 7 February 2027
Date
10 September 2026 – 7 February 2027
Location
» KunstpalastAdmission: 17 € / concessions 13 €
Children / young people under 18: free
Members of Friends of the Kunstpalast: free
The work of Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) mounts a radical challenge to the discrimination of women and asserts a new, monumental vision of femininity. The Kunstpalast presents her iconic female figures, shooting paintings, happenings, sculptures and films, along with models for large-scale outdoor works, with particular attention to how she carved out artistic autonomy within a male-dominated field.
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“Nana Power!” – seen from today’s vantage point, her singular practice and her determination to upend gender relations place her squarely within the sphere of feminist activism, even if she never claimed the term herself.
The exhibition places de Saint Phalle’s work in dialogue with selected pieces by her contemporaries. Encounters with artist friends such as Jean Tinguely, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, as well as Yayoi Kusama and Dorothy Iannone, sharpen the contours of her position and illuminate the enduring impact of her artistic legacy.
Die Ausstellung DREAM MACHINE mit mehr als 100 Werken entsteht in Kooperation mit dem Nationalmuseum in Wrocław sowie in enger Zusammenarbeit mit der Niki Charitable Art Foundation San Diego und dem Sprengel Museum Hannover.
Curator: Heike van den Valentyn
Talk
Curator Heike van den Valentyn in conversation with Marcelo Zitelli
Curator Heike van den Valentyn talks to Marcelo Zitelli, former assistant to Niki de Saint Phalle and a member of the board of trustees of the Niki Charitable Art Foundation, about the artist and her work.
She wanted to be free and carved out a place for herself, gaining power and influence in a male-dominated art scene: the artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002). Her work places a particular focus on strong women and self-determination, including over one’s own body. From her ‘shooting paintings’ to the large, colourful Nanas, the exhibition explores four decades of the Franco-American artist’s work. Find out more about her ambivalent body of work, which addresses a wide range of topics– from anger to zest for life – and is becoming increasingly relevant.
Please note that the conversation will be held in English.
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Private guided Tours
Whether alone, as a couple, as a birthday present or as a team event – discover Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine as part of a private tour!
Our experienced art educators will give you and your group a compact overview of the exhibition and will be happy to answer your questions and address your interests.
Private tours are overview tours of our special exhibitions or the collection and can be booked individually for your group.
The fee for a 60-minute foreign-language guided tour is 103 €, plus admission for all participants.
A maximum of 20 people can take part in each tour.Contact form
Accompanying programme
Thu 10 Sep 2026
Talk – Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine
18:30
Curator Heike van den Valentyn in conversation with Marcelo Zitelli
Sun 22 Nov 2026
Экскурсия на русском языке / Public tour in Russian
15:00
Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine.
Wed 20 Jan 2027
Art and Babies
11:30
Niki de Saint Phalle. Dream Machine.
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