This page contains a series of documentary films on the EPO art collection. The repertoire of films is expanding all the time and offers insights into various themes that the collection focuses on.
In October 2022, the premiere of the short film "Lichtkunst (light art)" took place as part of the "Long Night of Museums in Munich", in which the curator of the collection, Dr Kristine Schönert, presents light art works in the EPO.
The film “Exploring Art at the European Patent Office” offers unique insights into the creation and growth of the EPO art collection. Shot in four countries in 2020 to mark the collection’s 40th anniversary, the film features more than 50 masterpieces, takes you inside the studios of six artists and introduces you to the architect of the EPO headquarters in Munich, where the collection first began to take shape.
The social significance of art in the workplace is a key focus area in the film, which explores how art adds value to the working environment of a public authority operating at the cutting edge of the 21st-century knowledge society. As EPO President António Campinos said when the film was launched: “Creativity is a key resource when it comes to Europe realising its innovative potential. And protecting and strengthening creativity is central to the EPO’s mandate. The EPO’s growing art collection has reflected the continuous growth of Europe’s innovative spirit and continues to inspire staff today.”
The EPO's commitment to culture includes preserving the value of its extensive art collection through ongoing research and development. This can involve applying highly innovative processes, as shown by an art technology project spanning several years. Watch German artist Rolf Lieberknecht and EPO art curator Kristine Schönert discussing the successful reconstruction of the light installation "Kinetic Light Refractions" 40 years after its creation.
The Academy of Fine Arts Munich at the EPO Boards of Appeal (19.11. - 5.12.2019)
START-UP is the EPO's initiative to support young art in a new community outreach programme. Five up-and-coming artists, who
are students or graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, have been invited to take part in temporary interventions
at the EPO Boards of Appeal site in Haar. The exhibition is unusual in that it features not just recent artworks but also
site-specific interventions and performances in conference rooms and the foyer. START-UP is providing the funds for the experiment,
which offers the young artists an opportunity to launch their careers and present their work in a corporate setting for the
first time. The exhibition sees its role as that of a creative lab, in which the artists explore current science and technology
issues and turn them into installations in the various spaces.
