Experiments and explorations in art and sensory perception: Under the auspices of Gregor Jansen, the decidedly individual building on Grabbeplatz has established itself as a pool of international movements and local trends, new talent and big names. Opening its doors in 1967, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf instantly became a pillar of the art community and a temple of possibilities, a place free of bias, a nucleus of inspiration, hotbed of discussion, aesthetic pioneer and occasionally agent provocateur.

In summer 2010, the Kunsthalle hosted a long-awaited retrospective of one of Düsseldorf’s leading conceptual artists, Hans-Peter Feldmann. In spring 2011, another star of the 60s and 70s, Ferdinand Kriwet, took centre-stage with a comprehensive multimedia exhibition of works, a worldwide first in depth and scope. In 2013, Tomma Abts from London, Chris Martin from Brooklyn, Yüksel Arslan from Paris and Michael Kunze from Berlin were all hot topics of discussion, as well as the popular exhibition Living with Pop. A Reproduction of Capitalist Realism. Since 1989, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf has also regularly exhibited the work of Karl Schmidt-Rottluff scholarship holders.

In 2012/13, the exhibition format Seitenlichtsaal was introduced as a flexible project space to present issues and discourses that complement, contrasted or consolidate the themes explored in the main programme shown in the surrounding rooms. Featured artists have included Damir Očko, Matt Conners, Koo Jeong-a, Nira Pereg, Peter Land, Simon Evans, Öyvind Fahlström, Henri Chopin, Guy de Cointet and Channa Horwitz.

In 2011, the complex and multifaceted Asian art scene was established as a new focal point of the gallery, also reflecting Düsseldorf’s close economic ties with the region. In 2011, Japanese art was celebrated in the exhibition The Group 1965; 2012, all eyes were on China with the solo exhibition of Yin Xiuzhen, followed by Korea in 2013 with the Transfer Korea – NRW exchange programme.

The idea of complementing, contrasting or consolidating the themes explored in the main programme has been successively expanded in a number of new formats including Kunsthalle BÜHNE (2011-14), MUR BRUT (since 2014) and the much acclaimed series NACHTFOYER (since 2004).