"Eyes open! Ali Mitgutsch and the bustling crowd" Workshops
Information about the exhibition:
Ali Mitgutsch is considered the father of the wimmelbook. ‘Rundherum in meiner Stadt’ (All Around My Town), published in 1968, was his first Wimmelbuch and is now a classic of children's literature. With colourful illustrations, Ali Mitgutsch tells stories about everyday life in the city and the countryside, in the mountains and by the water in a playful, expressive and humorous way. Without words, he puts stories on paper that children and adults alike can enjoy.
Ali Mitgutsch became famous for his wimmelbooks, but his work is much more extensive than that. He created more than 70 picture books: wimmelbooks, non-fiction picture books, fairy tales and his own stories. He also created objects and independent works. From the rich collection of the artist's estate, which is managed by Ali Mitgutsch's sons and daughter, originals from his artistic beginnings in the 1950s to the beginning of the 21st century are on display. In addition to the originals for the wimmelbooks, pictures, drawings and sketches that have never been seen before will be shown. They all tell the story of an artist who was drawn to distant lands on numerous journeys, yet was deeply rooted in Munich and Bavaria.
The opening of the exhibition takes place on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 at 7pm. Please see here for further information.
Overview of our workshop programme for the exhibition:
Creative workshop: Hidden, Discovered, Made by You! / Grade 1 to 4
(Writing and) Theatre Workshop: Wimmel Scenes – Turning Pictures into Stories / Grade 1 to 6
Further information on the workshops can be found further down this page.
All workshops are tailored to the respective age group.
Creative Workshop
Hidden, Discovered, Made by You!
Led by: Monika Gollasch, graphic designer and illustrator
Grade 1 to 4
There’s plenty to discover in Ali Mitgutsch’s Wimmel pictures. We encounter all sorts of characters – children and adults, construction workers, travellers and street vendors. What are they up to? What has just happened to them? How might the story continue, and what else is there to be discovered? Inspired by the exhibition, each child will create their own hidden-object book in the art studio, depicting, for example, a farm, a sports ground, a zoo or an outdoor swimming pool, complete with people, animals, objects and, above all, a hidden object within the scene. Afterwards, the children will playfully search for the hidden objects in each other’s work. With plenty of fun, imagination and artistic skill, unique works of art are created, which the children then take home.
(Writing and) Theatre Workshop
Hidden Object Scenes – Turning Pictures into Stories
Led by: Renate Groß, theatre educator
Years 1 to 6
What a Wimmel! Wherever you look, everything is happening at once: Ali Mitgutsch’s dense, detailed and amusing pictures contain countless stories that can be told in many different ways. Observations become stories; characters become lively scenes with movement and dialogue. Together, the children tell the stories they discover for themselves in the pictures and bring them to life using theatrical techniques such as text, simple choreography and rhythms with simple instruments. All these techniques promote language skills, imagination and creative expression.
Information and booking:
Length: ca. 2,5 h
Costs: 4€ per child (minimum 80 Euro)
Booking: (089) 8912110 oder empfang@ijb.de
Our workshops are usually held in German. If you wish to book a workshop in English, please contact us.
Please book workshops at least six working days before the workshop begins. Cancellation is free of charge up to three working days before the workshop begins. After that, a flat fee of the above-mentioned minimum amount will be charged.