MUNICH.- The Lenbachhaus is welcoming summer with the return of Jeppe Hein’s interactive water pavilion, Space in Action / Action in Space, a work that transforms the museum’s forecourt into a place of surprise, movement, and participation.

On view from May 22 through September 20, 2026, the installation brings a cooling fountain to the plaza in front of the Lenbachhaus, where walls of water rise and fall in response to visitors. At first, the fountain appears to block the view of the Propylaea behind a shimmering curtain of water. But when a visitor walks toward it, the wall suddenly collapses, opening a path into the space. Moments later, the water closes again, enclosing the interior and separating it from the surrounding streets.

The result is both sculpture and experience. Hein’s fountain invites visitors not simply to look at art, but to enter it, test it, and become part of its changing rhythm. Like many of the Danish artist’s works, the piece depends on curiosity and participation. It encourages passersby to slow down, gather, play, or simply enjoy a moment of relief during the summer months.

The work has been praised for its mix of technical precision, wit, and public appeal. Silke Hohmann, writing in Monopol, once described Hein’s water pavilion as “a technically consummate, smart, witty, megalomaniacal work.” Its reappearance at the Lenbachhaus continues that spirit, turning the museum’s entrance area into a lively social space rather than a purely transitional one.

Space in Action / Action in Space was acquired in 2002 with support from the Jubiläums-Stiftung der Deutsche Bank AG Filiale München in favor of the Lenbachhaus. Its return in 2026 is part of a broader effort to improve the quality of the museum forecourt as a place where visitors and city residents can spend time.

The installation will be accompanied by further events and activities during the summer as part of the “Buntes Garten Ciao” initiative.

The Lenbachhaus thanked Studio Jeppe Hein and the Jubiläums-Stiftung der Deutsche Bank AG Filiale München zugunsten des Lenbachhauses. The work appears courtesy of KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin; 303 GALLERY, New York; and Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen.