Art in the of Munich

Gerhard Grabsdorf Gallery

Since 2010, this small, charming gallery between Isartor and Gärtnerplatz has been showing extraordinary exhibitions in the fields of historical and contemporary Photography, kinetics, sculpture and painting.

Holzskulpturen von Peter Konierski, Nadine Rosani und Elsa Nietmann aus der Ausstellung Holz

Kätzchen, Holzskulpturen von Elsa Nietmann

https://www.grabsdorf.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMGP9054.jpg

About the Gallery

In 2010, Gerhard Grabsdorf took the opportunity to expand his office in Munich’s Gärtnerplatz district by incorporating a former retail space. While searching for a venue to showcase his grandfather’s photographic archive, the idea of founding a gallery was born — focusing on historical photography and regularly featuring guest artists.

Even before the official opening, a first “construction site exhibition” showed works in the unrenovated rooms. The first major exhibition took place in the Valentin Karlstadt Museum.

In its early years, the gallery presented a wide variety of works — from street art and quirky objects to painting, comic and pop art, and contemporary photography. The program featured both emerging talents and established artists, primarily from Munich.

Since 2014, the curatorial focus has shifted to historical and contemporary photography, kinetic art, as well as painting and sculpture — with an emphasis on regional artists and distinctive artistic approaches.

Beautiful Atmosphere

The gallery is located in the of Munich, between the Isartor and Gärtnerplatz, at Aventinstraße 10.

In a listed building with an elaborate façade structure in the Neo-Renaissance style by Anton Sprenger from 1888.

To the map

Exhibition Philosophy

Over the years, Gerhard Grabsdorf has developed his own curatorial philosophy for his gallery:

art should be accessible - direct, inviting and tangible.

The exhibitions are designed to avoid artificial barriers. They are not exclusively aimed at an art-savvy audience but seek to spark curiosity – even among passersby or those with little prior interest in art. The gallery sees itself as a space for dialogue, discovery, and interaction.

Experience and exchange are at the core.

Kinetic artworks, for example, often require active participation – many pieces are activated by the visitors themselves. Photography exhibitions, on the other hand, invite personal reminiscence, storytelling, and conversation. In this way, the shows resemble modern museum formats more than traditional commercial exhibitions.

The works on display tell stories or evoke memories – sometimes both.

This inclusive approach has proven successful: the gallery welcomes a diverse audience, from kindergarten groups and students to midlifers and seniors. While most visitors come from Munich and the surrounding region, international guests – some of whom travel specifically to visit – are always welcome.

The gallery’s unique concept has drawn widespread media attention. Coverage has included features by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Bayerisches Fernsehen, as well as the Global Art Magazine, the Münchner Kunstjournal, and the Münchner Merkur, among others.