Since 2003
Sandkasten
The small, temporary and non-commercial exhibition space at Sandstraße 33 in the center of Munich has been presenting changing exhibitions with unrestricted public access since 2003. The focus lies on showcasing the local art scene, meaning Munich-based artists, with an emphasis on contemporary art.
The small gatekeeper’s lodge at Sandstraße 33 once belonged for many decades to the former Steib paper factory, which specialized in the production of envelopes and employed up to 800 workers in the courtyard. The ensemble was originally built by the master builder Georg Meister.
Those days are long gone. Today, the “Meisterhöfe” provide spaces for modern offices and studios. The gatekeeper’s lodge was no longer needed and has now, for over 20 years, found a new purpose as the privately organized, non-commercial exhibition space known as sandkasten. Small and not easy to curate, yet full of character and with a strong presence in the street.
Since 2003, more than 70 exhibitions by well-known and lesser-known artists, predominantly from Munich, have taken place here. In 2025 alone, there were seven exhibitions. The works are always current, often created specifically for sandkasten or newly assembled: painting, photography, sculpture, and installations.
The exhibition openings are always something special: everyone stands outside in the passageway to the courtyard. You cannot enter, it is too small. But day and night, through the round window, visitors can repeatedly view beautiful exhibitions. Especially in recent years, during lockdown and the associated longing for beauty and art that could be enjoyed outdoors, the small space attracted many visitors. It is a permanently open showcase for art and for artists.
The space is run independently by architect and photographer Ulrike Lauber and cultural journalist Christina Haberlik. It is available to artists free of charge and is not a sales space. The curators’ wish for artists to conceive and produce a work specifically for this unique space has often been fulfilled.
Maxvorstadt: Sandstraße 33, 80335 Munich
Founder: Ulrike Lauber
Current Director: Christina Haberlik
Short description: Sandkasten is a non-commercial, publicly accessible exhibition space in the center of Munich that has presented contemporary art from the local scene since 2003.
Type of space: Independent art space
The small, temporary and non-commercial exhibition space at Sandstraße 33 in the center of Munich has been presenting changing exhibitions with unrestricted public access since 2003. The focus lies on showcasing the local art scene, meaning Munich-based artists, with an emphasis on contemporary art.
The small gatekeeper’s lodge at Sandstraße 33 once belonged for many decades to the former Steib paper factory, which specialized in the production of envelopes and employed up to 800 workers in the courtyard. The ensemble was originally built by the master builder Georg Meister.
Those days are long gone. Today, the “Meisterhöfe” provide spaces for modern offices and studios. The gatekeeper’s lodge was no longer needed and has now, for over 20 years, found a new purpose as the privately organized, non-commercial exhibition space known as sandkasten. Small and not easy to curate, yet full of character and with a strong presence in the street.
Since 2003, more than 70 exhibitions by well-known and lesser-known artists, predominantly from Munich, have taken place here. In 2025 alone, there were seven exhibitions. The works are always current, often created specifically for sandkasten or newly assembled: painting, photography, sculpture, and installations.
The exhibition openings are always something special: everyone stands outside in the passageway to the courtyard. You cannot enter, it is too small. But day and night, through the round window, visitors can repeatedly view beautiful exhibitions. Especially in recent years, during lockdown and the associated longing for beauty and art that could be enjoyed outdoors, the small space attracted many visitors. It is a permanently open showcase for art and for artists.
The space is run independently by architect and photographer Ulrike Lauber and cultural journalist Christina Haberlik. It is available to artists free of charge and is not a sales space. The curators’ wish for artists to conceive and produce a work specifically for this unique space has often been fulfilled.