Städel Night

About this event

Art stays open until half past one, but the real action happens on the dancefloor. This Städel Night turns the museum into a late-night club built around the exhibition ‘Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.’ Young art experts give short, informal talks on how the figure of Mary Magdalene has been cast and recast over centuries – from saint and sinner to self-determined icon and projection screen for ideas about body, faith and gender, themes that resonate strongly with ballroom culture. Music comes from three DJs who know how to move a crowd. ZANIAH, rooted in voguing and ballroom, brings together raptor house, Latin tech, vogue beats and baile funk. French producer Lazy Flow, long-time resident of Paris‘ LA CRÉOLE, weaves in flavours from Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the UK. Berlin-based Amowia blends afrodiasporic sounds with house, hip-hop, jersey club and breaks. Between sets, the Frankfurt collective Anybody Walking? – who have been building ballroom spaces for queer and BIPOC communities since 2018 – contribute choreographed dance performances. The night is loud, busy and built for mingling. You can drift between exhibition galleries, the dancefloor and the garden foyer where NAIV serves drinks and snacks. Come alone, with friends or on a date: the format works for anyone ready to spend several hours swapping paintings for basslines. Entry is 18+; children and anyone looking for a quiet evening should look elsewhere.