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Munich by Lusine BreitscheidelBack in 1937, there was a large exhibition of over 650 modern art pieces in Munich. They were mostly expressionist works, andthe overall exhibit was entitled ‘Degenerate Art’ (Entartete Kunst). At the same time, in Haus der deutschen Kunst (House ofGerman Art, which since 1945 has been called House of Art) an exhibition entitled ‘The Great German Art Exhibition’ took place,in the same city, showing artworks from officially approved German artists.The purpose of the ‘Degenerate Art’ exhibition (which showed the works of Kokoschka, Beckmann, Dix, Kandinsky, Chagall,and others) was an official condemnation of modern art. In the post-war period, modern art has been re-evaluated in Munich.Currently, in fact, the art trends in Munich reflect those in Germany more broadly, and are divided into two main categories: neoexpressionismand conceptualism.As of September 2010, there were 69 modern art exhibitions in Munich. It is a style which is increasingly being introduced tovarious corporate settings in the city as a result of art commercialization. Like elsewhere in the world, some of artists here pursuethe goal of quantity and make money with almost identical art works. Others do not focus on marketing their work, but ratherspend their time exploring their minds, asking questions and looking for creative solutions.Gabriele Koch, for example, focuses on photorealistic portrait painting as well as large format imagery works, in which she dramaticallydisplays problems in today’s society, or shares with us seemingly ordinary episodes from her life expressed through asurrealistic prism. Nani Boronat, who works both in painting and sculpture, passionately creates geometric abstract works withpop art elements. Rhea Silvia Will looks for contradictions between hard and soft forms, applying digitally enhanced techniquesto show transitions between elements of our environment. Andrea Altkuckatz, inspired by the contrast between urban and rurallife, presents considerable amount of humor in her paintings and photographs, e.g. a pink bathtub in a peaceful Bavarian landscape.Dr. Lusine Breitscheidel, neo-expressionist and conceptual artist, through energetic and dynamic works initiates dialogswith the viewers to address other important themes, such as challenges to online relationships.The increase in the acceptance of modern art has had many positive consequences in the city, and can be felt everywhere yougo. But there is one disadvantage to this trend; older works and styles tend to be overlooked in the fast-moving world of contemporaryart. The Alte-Pinakothek, one of the oldest art galleries in the world, boasts a famous collection of master paintings, andyet has comparatively few visitors, when contrasted to the thriving modern art scene. To truly appreciate the city, visitors wouldbe advised to appreciate both the old and the new art that can be found in Munich.110 ARTisSpectrum