The art collections of Ruhr-Universität Bochum are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2025 with a large-scale, interdisciplinary exhibition, Das halbe Leben. Formen der Arbeit in Kunst und Geschichte (Half a life. Forms of work in art and history) on the subject of work. To mark the occasion, the rich holdings of the Art Collection of Antiquity and the Coin Collection will enter into a dialog with contemporary art in the underground museum and together shed light on one of the most important aspects of social, economic and art history. The exhibits cover a period of almost 3,000 years and are examined from several perspectives: The focus is on classic themes such as production, trade and consumption. After all, 'work and pleasure' have formed an indissoluble link since ancient times, or to put it another way: work is always only half of life.
