A museum full of stories

In March 2026, the identity of the artist Banksy – which had been closely guarded until then – was revealed and made public. A move that caused outrage amongst many of his fans; after all, it is precisely this anonymity that makes his graffiti so appealing. 

And George Lucas? He’s not just fond of moving images, but also of those that hang on the wall. The new museum houses over 40,000 works – one of the most extensive collections of narrative art in the world. Around 1,300 of these are currently on display across 9,300 square metres of exhibition space, spread across 35 galleries. Rather than being organised by genre, the works are arranged by theme: love, family, work, sport and childhood all point to universal experiences. And that is precisely where the appeal lies: Lucas is writing an alternative art history in which paintings, comics, illustrations, photographs, murals and films are not placed on different cultural pedestals. Instead, they invite us to consider the stories they tell, the emotions they evoke and the social ideas they convey. In this way, art is made accessible to a wide audience. The canon is a thing of the past.

Alongside works by Banksy, the collection also features pieces by Frida Kahlo, Norman Rockwell, van Gogh and Diego Rivera, many of which come from the private collection of Lucas and Hobson. In addition to this impressive art collection, the museum houses extensive film archives, including the complete Lucas Archives with film props, illustrations and artefacts from the Star Wars films and the Indiana Jones adventures.

The museum itself: a work of art in its own right that seems almost unreal – and could easily pass for a futuristic spaceship in the next science fiction film. The building also houses a library, two cinemas and a restaurant.

After more than a decade, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson are now realising their dream of a place that makes stories accessible to everyone.