DUSSELDORF.- The exhibition “Playground” invites children to touch, climb, run, and let their imaginations run wild—in a dreamlike landscape that seems to be from another world. The artist Sonia Kazovsky created this accessible artwork specifically for K20’s largest exhibition hall, where play becomes an artistic, sensory, and communal experience. In “Playground,” children and their companions can slip into different roles with special props and costumes, roll down a large desert hill, gather around a campfire, or swing on an imaginatively designed streetlamp. “Playground” aims to reach a younger, diverse audience beyond the traditional art-going public and to spark children’s curiosity about modern and contemporary art.

Under the direction of Susanne Gaensheimer, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein Westfalen aims to open its buildings, exhibition program, collection, and accompanying program to the broadest possible audience at its two locations, K20 and K21. “With Playground, we want to show that the museum can also be a place for children and families—a space where art is not only viewed but experienced, discovered, and created together,” says Gaensheimer.

The idea for “Playground” came from Karen Archey, senior curator at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen: “As a parent of two young children and as a curator at a public institution, I want to create space for the needs of families. We need more opportunities to play together, to imagine together, and simply to be together in a public space like a museum. That’s how ‘Playground’ came about.”

The installation was created in close collaboration between the artist Sonia Kazovsky and the museum. Together with the curator, the artist developed a format that appeals specifically to children and families and centers on active participation. Visitors are encouraged to enter, touch, and alter the artwork. Movement, interaction, and shared play become part of the artistic experience.

The museum becomes a social space where art can be physically experienced and new forms of togetherness emerge. “Playground” invites visitors to rethink the boundaries between art, play, and everyday life—and to discover the museum as an open space for people of all ages.

A Playground in the Museum

The exhibition hall features an impressive floating composition of fabric panels in various shades of blue that resembles a cloudless “sky” and lends the space a theatrical atmosphere. A reflective “sun” made of gold foil also hangs from the ceiling. A large fabric tent serves as a retreat for imagination and storytelling, and at the same time as a gateway to the imaginary world of “Playground.”

Upon entering the large exhibition hall in K20, visitors are greeted by an array of unusual props and garments. These items encourage visitors to slip into different roles, expand their bodies in playful ways, and discover new forms of interaction.

A circular seating and play area reminiscent of a pond is ideal for parents with babies to spend time together, while a desert dune of sorts invites visitors to run, climb, and slide. A swing in the form of a streetlamp can be used by people of all ages and abilities. A play table with an integrated miniature theater provides space for shared storytelling and role-playing.

At the center of the exhibition, an installation designed like a campfire serves as a social gathering spot where visitors can come together, chat, or simply linger.

Curator: Karen Archey
Curatorial Assistant: Isabelle Tondre