Housed in Dresden's Blockhaus, the Archiv der Avantgarden presents art, design and documents of the 20th-century avant-gardes from the Marzona Collection.
November 5, 2026 – March 21, 2027
Taking Stravinsky's 1913 ballet as its starting point, the show places around 150 works of the historical avant-gardes, by artists such as Kandinsky and Boccioni, in the context of World War I. Works by the artist Kader Attia on the aftermath of war and social healing enter into dialogue with them.
Its foundation is the collection of Egidio Marzona, who since the 1960s has gathered works, documents and everyday artifacts of the 20th-century artistic avant-gardes. Starting in December 2016, he donated large parts of it to the Free State of Saxony; since then the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) have looked after around 1.5 million objects – artworks, design and architectural objects, publications, posters, photographs, audiovisual media and thousands of binders of letters and notes.
Its home is the Blockhaus by the Augustusbrücke, the former Neustadt guardhouse built from 1732 to plans by Zacharias Longuelune. Rebuilt after World War II, the building stood empty after the 2013 flood. It was converted based on a competition design by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos; inside, a floating exhibition cube was created, along with rooms for lectures and workshops and improved flood protection.
In May 2024 the Archiv der Avantgarden opened as an open venue for research, exhibitions and discussion. Its approach to collecting is deliberately non-hierarchical: a letter can be just as significant as a painting. The German section of the art critics' association AICA named it Museum of the Year 2024.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4According to SKD concession rules, including university students and school students aged 20 and over as well as people with disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher) |
| Children & teens | €2Children free until they start school; school students under 20 pay €2. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount on single tickets; reduced SKD annual pass (€70) with a pension ID. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · Reduced price from a degree of disability of 50; companion (“B” marker) free. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Reduced; school students under 20 pay €2. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4.50 per personGroup rate for 10 people or more. |
| Families | –No family ticket; free admission with the Familienpass Sachsen (Saxony family pass). |
| SKD annual pass (all SKD museums incl. special exhibitions) | €95Seniors with a pension ID €70, university students €25, other concessions €45. |
The SKD price list gives the Blockhaus rate “for special exhibitions”; these prices also apply to the Kader Attia exhibition. Free admission on your birthday. Tickets online, at the museum ticket desk or through visitor services.
Main entrance with a heavy swing door; step-free access on the right side of the building (staff entrance with doorbell) and via a ramp in the Baroque garden to the café. All floors accessible by elevator. Loaner wheelchair available from staff, around 20 portable museum stools, display cases with knee clearance. Accessible parking spaces right next door at the Hotel Bellevue. Guided tours with sign language interpretation and in Easy Language.
Nursing and baby changing facilities on site. Children may not be carried on backs or shoulders or in back carriers; when it is very busy, entry with strollers may not be possible. No food or drink (including baby food) in the exhibition rooms.
Stops Neustädter Markt and Augustusbrücke; Dresden-Neustadt train station
Accessible parking spaces right next door at the Hotel Bilderberg Bellevue.
Café-bar “451° F” in the basement (step-free access). Free cloakroom and lockers, free Wi-Fi.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Photography | Allowed for private purposes without flash or tripod; photography partly prohibited in special exhibitions for copyright reasons |
| Good to know | Free multimedia guide at guide.skd.museum. Public tours as well as formats such as Tiny Desk Lectures, Object Talks and Homestories; dialogue-based group tours on request through SKD visitor services. |
Cookies help you use this website. We only load the map and statistics with your consent.
