The library of the HFBK Hamburg is a combined reference and lending library. It is one of the workshops of the university and as such is understood as a place that inspires as well as catalyzes the artistic process with its media stock. With its beautiful rooms and comfortable seating, the library offers users plenty of space for relaxed reading in catalogs, current magazines and newspapers. At the same time, it enables students to contextualize their artistic projects in terms of art theory, art history, and media, and to critically reflect on their artistic and creative approach.

The art of the 20th and 21st century forms the main focus of the collection, whereby primarily monographs of works by international artists and theme-oriented exhibition catalogs are collected. In the area of art theory, history, and science, the collection includes standard works as well as publications that examine artistic and creative works in the context of current issues in art history, art history, and cultural studies, and that critically examine their socio-political and diversity-political framework.

Regular events take place in the library; students present their artistic works in showcases or as site-specific interventions, or introduce new books published by Materialverlag and discuss them in in opening events to the univerity public.

Please find the online HFBK catalogue here and our new acquisitions here.