EN 
DE Much more than just street art!
MUCA Munich –
Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art
Impressions
Description:
The Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) opened in 2016 as Germany's first museum for urban art. It was founded by the collector couple Stephanie and Christian Utz. Following a year of renovations, a former electrical substation and an adjacent World War II air-raid shelter were transformed into exhibition spaces for urban and contemporary art.
MUCA's mission is to integrate urban art into the contemporary art discourse and to exhibit the most celebrated artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, it has become a leading authority in building collections, with a focus on significant works by artists known for incorporating the urban landscape into their practice.
Since its inception, the MUCA has always been committed to sharing its collection with the public. This is done both on-site through exhibitions and on its website, offering virtual insights into selected works.
As a museum guide, I would be delighted to show you the collection and selected artists!
At a glance:
Look forward to fascinating contemporary artworks from artists such as Banksy, JR, Swoon, Shepard Fairy, Antony Micallef, Damien Hirst and many more.
Join me as we explore this diverse collection in the heart of Munich's old town. The two exhibition buildings alone – the main building, formerly part of a transformer station, and the bunker from the 1940s – are worth a visit.
Learn what inspired these artists and how some of them managed to rise from the streets to the who's who of the contemporary art scene.
The most important things in brief:
Meeting point:
Foyer of the MUCA, Hotterstraße 4 in Munich city center
behind the farmstead
Duration:
approximately 75 minutes
Distance:
We are located entirely within the premises of the MUCA. This includes the MUCA Bunker, which, however, is not wheelchair accessible.
Group size:
max. 20 people
Please note:
The guided tour can only be booked by prior arrangement with MUCA. However, I would be happy to arrange this for you.
Member of the Munich Tourist Guide Association eV
Member of the TIM Tourism Initiative Munich
„"Anyone who walks through the museum with Grit discovers not only exhibits, but also new perspectives. Her way of guiding visitors is captivating; with passion and knowledge, she transforms a tour into an experience. We greatly appreciate her commitment to constantly familiarizing herself with new exhibition concepts and to exploring innovative paths with our institution."“
Stephanie Utz Co-Founder MUCA, February 2026
Current special exhibition:
Vhils – Strata in MUCA
The exhibition at MUCA showcases a comprehensive selection of works by the Portuguese artist from the past two decades. Visitors have the opportunity to experience the development of his distinctive artistic style through a wide range of materials, techniques, and conceptual approaches. More about the exhibition on the MUCA website.
For many years, Vhils has worked with a wide variety of materials, including wood, paper, acrylic, polystyrene, and metal. Video and light installations are also part of his oeuvre. MUCA, with its exhibition space in the former substation and the high-rise bunker, provides an excellent backdrop for his work.
I'm personally fascinated by the artist's career path, which, as is so often the case, began "on the street." But Vhil's constant search for new possibilities enabled him to launch his now globally acclaimed project "Scratching the Surface," which, with its large-scale portraits on public walls—over 200 works in more than 30 countries—has garnered attention worldwide. Carving portraits into house walls—is that even possible? Yes, and I'd love to show you!
MUCA Collection:
Unveiling – Highlights of the Collection
Under the title „UNVEILING“, MUCA has been showcasing highlights from its permanent collection in the basement of its main building in Munich since January 2026. This collection houses important artworks by artists known for incorporating the urban landscape into their creative process.
The MUCA's permanent exhibition offers insights into over a quarter of a century of the most important figures in 21st-century contemporary art. While the initial collection pieces from 1998 focused on pop and street art, the collection has been continuously expanded and now comprises over 1,200 works by renowned artists. Many of these artists rose to prominence in the 2000s and were considered up-and-coming newcomers at the time.
I would be delighted to take you on a guided tour through the five thematic sections of the permanent exhibition, where the works of Keith Haring, Banksy, Shepard Fairy, Invader, Kusama and many others will take us on a journey through this exciting period of art history.
Many thanks also to MUCA for providing the images (artworks by Vhils, Banksy, Invader and the rooms of the permanent exhibition)!
Still questions?
Write to me or just call me:
Grit Ranft
and the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial