18 years after the opening of the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the pneumatic membrane sculpture HOWL by Anish Kapoor was inaugurated in the central atrium of the building on September 16, 2020 after a two-year planning period. There, the balloon made of PVC membrane in dark colours forces itself against the surrounding colonnade of columns. For the stable hold of the apparently only clamped sculpture, AR engineers were commissioned to develop a compact fastening detail, which enables both the simple assembly and the invisible storage of the sculpture on the 12 concrete columns.  

The mighty PVC ball, which is impossible to grasp in its entirety, hangs low down into the entrance area, almost up to the heads of the people. It pushes and it dominates, it is overwhelming, space displacing - and completely transforms the architecture of the rotunda. Transformed? The work makes it clear that everything around us can change, although not a wall, not a pillar, not even a crumb of concrete has been moved from its place. The sculpture is also an expression of female strength and passion, said Anish Kapoor, the London-based sculptor. The HOWL installation is 14 meters high and 22 meters wide and will welcome visitors to the Pinakothek der Moderne until August 2021.