The Glaskasten Marl Sculpture Museum has seen two focal points emerge in its collection over almost 30 years. Both of which can be seen in its collection and exhibitions: sculptures from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day and new media arts.

The city of Marl concentrated on collecting sculpture – contemporary works especially – long before the museum was founded. The museum opened in 1982 and the Marler Video Art Prize was established in 1984 – the first national competition of its kind in Germany. This concentration on new media arts became the second focal point for the museum.

Small sculptures from the modern classics to the present day as well as media arts are on display in the museum rooms. Larger sculptures can be primarily found in the outer area.

In addition to the official museum complex, the city Paracelsus Clinic as well as the former cemetery in Sickingmühler Strasse was added to the museum by the council in 1990 to create a sculpture park. This includes works by Esther and Jochen Gerz, Ian Hamilton Finlay and Micha Ullman among others. By walking through the museum surroundings, visitors can get an overview of sculpture since the middle of the last century. Not only will they find the aforementioned pieces but also works such as Max Ernst’s "Habakuk" (only during the summer months), Alfred Hrdlicka’s "Portrait Dietrich Bonhoeffer", Richard Serra’s "O.T., Frankfurter Skulptur", Wolf Vostell’s large sculpture "La Tortuga" and Ossip Zadkine’s "Großer Orpheus" (Large Orpheus).

The collection focal points are also reflected in exhibitions. Exhibition of the Marler Video Art Prize and the German Sound Art Prize take place every two years. Media arts solo exhibitions and themed sound art exhibitions enrich the exhibition spectrum. At the same time, sculpture works form a permanent part of the museum’s exhibition program.