The Neue Nationalgalerie, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's iconic glass-and-steel temple of modernism, has emerged as Berlin's most popular art museum in 2025, drawing more than 600,000 visitors to its Potsdamer Straße location. The museum's success reflects a broader trend of engagement with contemporary and modern art, with total attendance reaching over 1.3 million people worldwide when including traveling exhibitions featuring works from the museum's collection. Director Klaus Biesenbach's ambitious programming strategy, which emphasized interactive performances and immersive experiences, particularly resonated with younger audiences willing to wait in long lines for entry. The building itself, completed in 1968 by the legendary Bauhaus master, continues to serve as both a architectural landmark and a dynamic space for artistic experimentation.

The museum's soaring upper hall and underground galleries hosted a series of blockbuster exhibitions that cemented its reputation as a cultural powerhouse. Highlights included retrospectives of Yoko Ono, Brazilian artist Lygia Clark, and Japanese fog sculptor Fujiko Nakaya, alongside photography exhibitions featuring Nan Goldin. The Lygia Clark retrospective, running from May through October 2025, transformed visitors into active participants through her interactive installation "Túnel," originally choreographed in 1968. Christian Marclay's celebrated film installation "The Clock" also attracted enormous crowds, while surveys of Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning explored surrealist networks, and a Gerhard Richter presentation featured 100 works donated to Berlin. The permanent collection display, regularly modified under the title "Zerreißprobe: Kunst zwischen Politik und Gesellschaft," finally incorporated significant works from East Germany's art scene, addressing a long-standing gap in the museum's narrative.

Performance programming reached new heights during the autumn Berlin Art Week, when Biesenbach staged numerous live events in the museum's dramatic upper hall. These offerings proved especially popular among young people, who enthusiastically embraced the participatory nature of the experiences. Joan Jonas presented her "Mirror Piece I & II" on the museum's terrace, while other performances activated the space in ways that blurred the line between artist and audience. Conservative critics from West Berlin dismissed these programs as "participation kitsch," but their criticism only seemed to strengthen public interest, revealing a deep-seated desire for accessible, hands-on cultural experiences. The controversy highlighted a generational divide in how art should be experienced in the twenty-first century.

Educational initiatives played a crucial role in the museum's record-breaking year, with over 4,000 guided tours, workshops, and outreach programs serving 46,000 participants. School groups accounted for 12,000 of these visitors, exposing a new generation to modern art through tailored curriculum-based activities. The museum's commitment to accessibility extended beyond traditional tours, incorporating digital resources, family days, and programs for visitors with disabilities. This educational focus helped demystify modern and contemporary art for broad audiences while fulfilling the institution's public mission. The programs demonstrated that serious art institutions can balance scholarly integrity with popular appeal.

The museum's international reach expanded significantly through traveling exhibitions that brought its collection to global audiences. The touring show "Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910-1945: Masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin" traveled across the United States, introducing American audiences to key works from the museum's holdings. These international partnerships not only increased the institution's visibility but also generated revenue supporting its ambitious Berlin programming. The worldwide attendance figure of 1.3 million demonstrates the museum's success as both a local destination and an internationally recognized brand, positioning it as a leader in cultural exchange.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Neue Nationalgalerie plans to present the first major Berlin sculpture survey dedicated to Romanian-French avant-garde artist Constantin Brâncuși, in partnership with the Centre Pompidou in Paris. This landmark exhibition will explore Brâncuși's revolutionary approach to form and his influence on modern sculpture. While details will be announced after the New Year, the project signals the museum's continued commitment to presenting canonical modernist figures in innovative ways. With its combination of architectural splendor, ambitious programming, and community engagement, the Neue Nationalgalerie has firmly established itself as Berlin's essential destination for contemporary and modern art.