Tao Schirrmacher’s Collection. Eisbach…

Press release

Since 2008, Tao Schirrmacher, European champion in river surfing, has been diving to the bottom of Munich's Eisbach River to bring back what people have lost there. What began with a single gold ring has grown over the years into an extensive collection of found objects and artifacts: jewellery, car keys, watches, devotional objects, papers, tools, telephones, cameras and much more. The finds are as varied as the stories they tell. Some seem lost and forgotten, others offer a glimpse of their past, such as two wedding rings that clearly belong together due to matching details and engravings.

These objects gain meaning not through their material worth, but through what resonates within them – memories and connections to people, places, and meaningful moments. The collection, which Schirrmacher named "Lost and Drowned" in 2008, grew from a desire to give these objects back their stories, or to tell new ones. "Eisbach Treasures" is on display in Archiv Galerie, the centrally located exhibition space that serves as a visual record of Haus der Kunst's complex history, forging connections between Haus der Kunst, the Eisbach River, and Englischer Garten.

Curated by Sabine Brantl.