Technoclub founder Andreas Tomalla (Talla 2XLC) had come up with the initial concept for the museum back in 2011. The idea for a museum dedicated to
electronic dance music in Frankfurt had already been discussed in 2011. In 2015, the city presented the planned project to the public during the
Musikmesse. It was the first time a German municipality financed the establishment of such an institution, with support for the project largely stemming from marketing and economic considerations. Frankfurt's city councilor and head of cultural affairs
Ina Hartwig expressed that she hoped the museum would be a “cultural magnet” that would draw tourists to the city. It was scheduled to open in 2017, It was trialed in pop-up form in 2018. Housed in Frankfurt's former Children's Museum, the municipality provided the location free of charge, as well as a €500,000 starting loan. On 6 April 2022, exactly seven years after it was announced, MOMEM opened to the public with a ceremony at
St Paul's Church and a party at
Hauptwache. Thousands of visitors were addressed by the museum's founder Alex Azary, Frankfurt's head of cultural affairs Ina Hartwig, and Frankfurt's mayor
Peter Feldmann. The museum's first exhibit was dedicated to DJ
Sven Väth, with the title " It's Simple To Tell What Saved Us From Hell', curated by
Tobias Rehberger. It featured artworks by artists like
Banksy and
Andreas Gursky, as well as a selection from Väth's massive collection of 20,000 records along with numerous photos from all phases of his life. == Criticism ==