Current exhibition

SUB:MERGED

05.09.2026 – 12.09.2026

SUB:MERGED brings 20 artists from Koblenz’s subculture to the Ludwig Museum

From 5 to 12 September 2026, SUB:MERGED will transform the upper floor of the Ludwig Museum Koblenz into an extraordinary exhibition space. 20 artists from different generations and working across a wide range of media will come together in a densely staged presentation. The exhibition opens on 5 September as part of the Lange Nacht der Museen in Koblenz.

Koblenz, 31 August 2026 – How does our perception of art change when works leave their familiar categories and enter into direct dialogue with one another? SUB:MERGED – Wohnraum trifft Museum explores this question. For one week, the exhibition project will occupy the upper floor of the Ludwig Museum Koblenz, bringing together works by 20 artists working in painting, photography, sculpture, collage and other media.

The exhibition draws on the atmosphere of a private home belonging to an art collector, shaped and developed over many years. In such a setting, very different works naturally encounter one another: periods, styles, materials and artistic positions coexist side by side and, through their proximity, form new relationships. SUB:MERGED transfers this principle into the museum space.

Presented in a dense installation inspired by the traditional Petersburg hanging, the exhibition creates a space that invites visitors to make their own discoveries. The works are deliberately placed in dialogue with one another. Visitors can explore connections, tensions and new perspectives emerging between the individual artistic positions.

Who is behind SUB:MERGED – and why does it matter for Koblenz?

SUB:MERGED originated with NDS23, a shared house in Koblenz-Lützel that has been curating music and cultural projects for several years and is part of the local subculture. An expanded team of Koblenz-based artists and cultural practitioners was brought together to develop and realise the exhibition: Katja Mölich (curatorial direction, art), Thomas Diefenbach, Isabelle Hoffmann, Hendrik Janßen, Marc André Pischl and Anahit Hagemann.

The initiative for the collaboration came from the Ludwig Museum Koblenz. In 2025, the museum approached NDS23 with the idea of jointly developing formats that would reach new audiences and create connections between the museum and the local cultural scene.

“It is particularly important to us not to understand the Ludwig Museum as a hermetically sealed place reserved for intellectual art. Museums are places of encounter, exchange and the enjoyment of artistic positions. This exhibition demonstrates how well ‘high and low’ can work together without drawing boundaries between them. We are very happy to provide the forum for this.”

Prof. Dr. Beate Reifenscheid, Director of the Ludwig Museum

“For me, it is important to create points of access through SUB:MERGED – for artists who are exhibiting in a museum such as the Ludwig Museum for the first time, and for visitors who have not yet discovered the museum for themselves.”

“Oslo” Thomas Diefenbach, initiator and curator for music and technology

Culture emerges with particular intensity where people and forms of expression come together that rarely share the same space in everyday life. The museum itself becomes part of the experiment. For a limited time, it becomes a living room, a meeting place and a shared stage. Visitors can linger among the works, listen to music, talk to one another and discover their own connections between the artworks.

“For centuries, Koblenz has known what can emerge when different currents come together. SUB:MERGED translates precisely this idea into art and culture.”

Anahit Hagemann, artist and press spokesperson

SUB:MERGED is aimed at experienced museum visitors as well as people who have had little previous contact with contemporary art. The exhibition, music and workshops offer different points of access, transforming the museum for one week into a shared space for culture and encounter.

Vernissage during the Lange Nacht der Museen in Koblenz

SUB:MERGED will open on Saturday, 5 September, from 7 pm to midnight as part of the Museumsnacht Koblenz. Alongside the open exhibition space, visitors can look forward to a live performance by Klangmosaik, DJ sets by the Spherart Crew, as well as drinks and food provided by Atlas Bar. Following the Museumsnacht, an afterparty with the Spherart Crew will take place at Projekt Vegan.

Throughout the exhibition week, SUB:MERGED will also serve as a space for encounter and collective participation. From 8 to 10 September, free art workshops for primary school classes will take place in the mornings, led by Hendrik Janßen and Katja Mölich. On 11 September, Narine Movsisyan will lead a photography workshop followed by a photo walk from the Ludwig Museum to STUDIO MO.

Finissage with art, music and a shared closing celebration

The exhibition week will conclude with a finissage on 12 September from 4 pm. The programme includes a talk and impressions by Astrid Fries, live music with special guests and a shared closing celebration. In the evening, a showcase featuring the DJ collective HALB SO WILD will follow.

20 artistic positions in a shared space

SUB:MERGED brings together 20 artists from Koblenz. The selection combines diverse artistic approaches, perspectives and experiences.

Participating artists:

Maryam Aghaalikhani, Milena Alemanno, Simone Birkholz, Joscha Diederichs, Kai Karlemann Forster, Letitia Frohn, Anahit Hagemann, Isabelle Hoffmann, Melina Hylla, Hendrik Janßen, Eva Kuhlmann, Kostas Liliopoulos, Narine Movsisyan, Katja Mölich, Andreas Oeldemann, Marc André Pischl, Finlay I. Schmitt, Richard York Sänger, Hans Vinzenz Seidl and Rike Sievert.

SUB:MERGED – WohnRaum trifft Museum

Dates: 5–12 September 2026
Venue: Ludwig Museum Koblenz, upper floor
Address: Danziger Freiheit 1, 56068 Koblenz
Opening: 5 September 2026 as part of the Museumsnacht Koblenz
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 am–5 pm; Sunday, 11 am–6 pm
Special opening hours: 5 September, 7 pm–midnight; 12 September, 4–10 pm
Admission: Advance tickets and tickets at the door are available at the Ludwig Museum and at all official ticket outlets for the Lange Nacht der Museen Koblenz
Programme: Exhibition, live music, DJ sets, live painting and workshops

Further information:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub.merged.ko/

Press

Press contact:
Anahit Hagemann
anahit.hagemann@netzundwerk.com
+49 176 84017790

Press images:
Press images, artwork reproductions and further information are available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1BRHiP8elPyeByhdOVZjNmKtjiBo4BIR3

Photo credits: Isabelle Hoffmann