It goes without saying - the city of the `sculpture projects´ gained a reputation as a lively art metropolis a long time ago. 27 museums from the Archaeological Museum to the Hippomax Museum, extend an invitation to explore. Apart from museum structures, more than 30 galleries extend an invitation to enter into dialogue with paintings, sculptures and installations.

Numerous cultural institutions accompany the `sculpture project - Summer 07´. For example, the Westphalian State Museum of Art and Cultural History presents a program of talks, readings and films. The Academy of Fine Arts is represented at two locations: in the glass Wewerka Pavilion on the banks of Lake Aa and in the sculpture and exhibition room at `documenta 8´ at the same time. Students of Guillaume Bij, Daniele Buetti, Katharina Fritsch, Maik and Dirk Loebbert and Henk Visch sculptor classes will be using the transparent window to present sculptural positions until the middle of August. All of the classes are opening their doors on the Leonardo Campus. It is however also possible to wander along cultural paths beyond the sculpture mile.

One example is the Museum of Pablo Picasso Graphic Art: Important lithographies have been exhibited in Germany's first Picasso museum since 2000. Temporary exhibitions shed light on the life and work of the famous 20th Century artist and his contemporaries. The latest coup: the Musée Picasso Antibes is exhibiting 120 of his most spectacular works in Munster until 12 August. The large-format paintings, drawings and ceramics have left Antibes for the first time due to building modifications. Picasso's colourful objects breathe out the happiest creative period during which he was in love with Francoise Gilot. She fired the Spanish genius´ irrepressible creativity. Munster is the only exhibition location in Germany. The exhibition is attracting a record number of visitors.

Another example is the Art and Exhibition Hall: Since 2004, international and regional artists have developed work with experimental tendencies in a project space of 1000 square metres located in the industrial ambience of Warehouse II in the port. The site of urban untidiness guarantees an atelier atmosphere with a high degree of freedom of design, making it possible to take risks. The three-part multi-channel video and photographic installation `the return of the real´ by Phil Collins will be on display here until 26 August. The British photographer and video artist who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2006, examines the promises and deception of talk shows, before/after shows and reality TV. Collins´ complex installation exposes the power and authority of the media which turns victims into accomplices and the viewers into believers.

For example: Atelier Warehouse: 32 publicly supported art ateliers have been provided with space on 4 floors situated above the exhibition hall in Warehouse II. With inexpensive rents, they provide young self-employed artists with professional working conditions. In exhibition room `showroom 4.7´, nine tenants will be presenting photography, paintings, sculptures, installation and performance until 30 September.

Another example: Initial room in the Town Hall Exhibition Room.: in cooperation with the exhibition hall, five artists who are at the start of their career are bringing a temporary exhibition room in the Town Hall to life. They want to present art which is not so well known outside the established cultural activities by creating young, fresh work such as room objects, video work, text fragments on the walls.

For example: City Museum: the museum deals with a place of depressive symbolism: the outer ward or Zwinger on the Promenade, a scene of crime under the NS-Regime. The kinetic installation from Rebecca Horn has been a reminder of victims of violence since `sculpture 87´. The `contrary concert´ is one of Munster's most haunting and important sculptures. The City Museum also dedicates a second exhibition to the visual arts. Photographs taken by Barbara Klemm, a year-long photographer for the FAZ newspaper during the `sculpture project `97´ are on display here. The native of Munster has focussed on the embedding of the woks of art in the public room.

For example: Museum of Lacquer Art: BASF Coatings AG opened the world's only Museum of Lacquer Art in a burgher villa in 1993. Around 100 objects from East Asia, Europe and the Islamic world from more than two centuries are on display here. Special exhibitions deal with aspects of both traditional and contemporary lacquer art in more detail.

Information: Atelierspeicher (Atelier Warehouse) am Kreativ Kai, Speicher II, Hafenweg 28, Tue-Sun 4-8 p.m., www.showroom-speicher2.com; Kunsthalle (Art and Exhibition Hall), Speicher II, Hafenweg 28, Tel. +49 (0)251/674 46 75, Tue-Fri 2-7 p.m., Sat/Sun 12 noon-6 p.m., www.muenster.de/stadt/ausstellungshalle; Graphikmuseum Pablo Picasso (Museum of Pablo Picasso Graphic Art), Königsstrasse 5, Tel. +49 (0)251/414 47-0, Tue-Thu 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat/Sun 10 a.m.-7 p.m., www.graphikmuseum-picasso-muenster.de; Interessengemeinschaft Kunst am Haferkamp, Hawerkamp 31, www.hawerkamp31.de; Initialraum in der Stadthausgalerie (Initial room in the Town hall Gallery), inner town hall courtyard, Wed-Fri 3-7 p.m., Sat/Sun 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., www.initialraum.de; Kunstakademie Munster (Munster Academy of Fine Arts), Leonardo Campus 2, Tel. +49 (0)251/83-61330, Mon-Fri 12 noon-6 p.m. www.kunstakademie-muenster.de; Museum für Lackkunst (Museum of Lacquer Art), Windhorststr. 26, Tel. +49 (0)251/41 851-0, Tues 12 noon-8 p.m., Wed-Sun 12 noon-6 p.m., www.museum-fuer-lackkunst.de; Stadtmuseum (City Museum) Salzstrasse 28, Tel. +49 (0)251/492-45 03, Tue-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat/Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m., www.muenster.de/stadt/museum; Westfaelisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte (Westphalian State Museum of Art and Cultural History) Domplatz 10, Tel. +49 (0)251/59 07-01, Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu until 9 p.m., www.landesmuseum-muenster.de; Wewerka Pavilion, am Aasee Uferweg, www.wewerka-pavillon.de.

Photos for downloading: www.muenster.de/stadt/galerie