The new Kunstpalast
The reinvention of a museum and its collection: over the past three years, the Kunstpalast has been completely renovated. Thanks to the generous support of the City of Düsseldorf, the vision of a modern, open museum that makes everyone feel welcome – regardless of their age or prior knowledge of art history – has been realised.
The new Kunstpalast will become a place where you will want to linger and return again and again – the city’s living room.
Many visitors will hardly recognise the Kunstpalast behind its historic façade: following extensive renovation, refurbishment and modernisation works, the museum’s collection will be presented in an entirely new light in rooms designed to the latest standards.
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Out of the approximately 130,000 objects owned and stored by the Kunstpalast, around 800 works from 11 centuries will be on display here. Whether miniature or monumental works, everyday objects or precious ornaments, plastic or porcelain, drawings or interactive VR installations – the selection of works unites exhibits from all genres.
Across 49 rooms, the chronological tour of the collection encompasses everything from medieval art and the collection’s nineteenth-century highlights through to contemporary art.
You will be able to rediscover the Kunstpalast’s glass collection from autumn 2024.
Members of the Friends of the Kunstpalast receive free admission and the opportunity to take part in a varied programme.
Explore the new Kunstpalast with Antje and Gisela.
Highlights
The tour of our new collection
Over the past three years, the Kunstpalast has been completely renovated. The new concept for the permanent exhibition offers a fresh look at the collection, which was completely redesigned in terms of both space and content.
Thanks to the generous support of the City of Düsseldorf the vision of a modern, open museum that makes everyone feel welcome – regardless of their age or prior knowledge of art history – has been realised.
The Kunstpalast collection is divided into seven sections: the Picture Gallery, the Collection of Prints and Drawings, Sculpture and Applied Art, Glass, Modern Art, Photography and Time-Based Media. The Picture Gallery houses European paintings from the fifteenth to the early twentieth century and is based on the Picture Gallery of Elector Palatinate Johann Wilhelm. The Düsseldorf School of Painting is a particular focal point of the collection.
The museum’s collection is extensive, with around 130,000 objects from 11 centuries, various continents and all eras and genres. In addition to the historical holdings of the Düsseldorf Art Academy, other significant contributions to the main collection are the works from the Willi Kemp Foundation and those donated by Wolfgang Hanck.
The presentation of the collection is generously supported by the City of Düsseldorf and our sponsors and museum gallery sponsors.
Reconstruction of the Legendary Creamcheese
Time travel to the 1960s
The legendary Düsseldorf underground club Creamcheese, which was THE hotspot for the music and art scene from the late 1960s to the 1970s, has been brought back to life here.
After its closure, the artistic interior became the property of the Kunstpalast in 1978.
The bar area of this legendary pub has been reconstructed and is now on display at the Kunstpalast, with works by Günther Uecker, Gerhard Richter, Daniel Spoerri and other artists exhibited there at the time.
Part of the collection tour during regular opening hours, on Fridays and Saturdays the Creamcheese room also invites visitors to stay late into the evening with drinks and music from the 1960s and 1970s.Explore the Creamcheese Room
Catalogue
The new Kunstpalast
The publication, published by Wienand Verlag, comprises 256 pages and 200 colour illustrations, with a greeting from Lord Mayor Stephan Keller and an introduction by Director General Felix Krämer.
Edited by Felix Krämer with Felicity Korn and Westrey Page, 256 pages with 200 colour illustrations, 27 x 36 cm, language: German, Hardcover edition 49,90 €, Paperback edition 29,90 € in the museum shop. Online prices vary.Visit our online shop
The Kunstpalast App
Experience art in multiple dimensions
Developed in cooperation with our digital partner ERGO, the Kunstpalast app now offers visitors an immersive, enhanced art experience. Available free of charge, the app enables visitors to experience works of art from the collection using augmented reality, combining learning and fun at the same time: while some features provide additional information on individual works, others are designed to amaze with surprising specials.Learn more and download the app
PalACE STUDIO
Being creative together
The cultural education workshops are now presented in a new location with a revised concept: the Palace Studio is a 350-square-metre, light, open and accessible space for working and thinking that combines a studio and a media lab, a darkroom and a discussion venue
The museum’s education partner, C. Josef Lamy GmbH, is the new sponsor of this meeting place for artistic and creative exchange.
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Spot on room
How do you appeal to people who haven’t been visiting museums since they were children? And how do you get the people of Düsseldorf excited about their museum? In 2020, the Kunstpalast issued a public call for the Palace Pilots group, who were invited and encouraged to contribute their ideas and play an active role in the new presentation of the collection – regardless of their level of prior knowledge about art and museums.
They were allowed to curate their own space with the Spot On Room, which you can find on the 1st floor.
More information
Offers for children
Rhino palast
Hidden rooms by Christoph Niemann
Our visitors, young and old, can discover four hidden children’s rooms in our new tour of the collection. Designed exclusively for the Kunstpalast by the artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann, these special rooms, called Rhino Palast, will take you on a journey of discovery that will test the limits of your perception and allow you to playfully take over the museum.
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Rhino Tour
explore the kunstpalast with tonies
explore the kunstpalast with tonies
With Nele and Piet to Knight and Rubens: there is a lot for children to discover in the new Kunstpalast. An audio tour that can be played via the Toniebox introduces young visitors to 26 selected works of art in the collection through exciting and entertaining stories.
This unique audio guide is made possible by the cooperation with the company Boxine GmbH, which produces audio systems with matching audio figures, the Tonies.
Go on Rhino Tour
Gastronomy
Meet Anna Maria
The Taste of kunstpalast
Saban Emini and Joakim Olsen are from now on looking after the culinary well-being of our visitors. Together with their team, the two Düsseldorfers are running our new restaurant “Anna Maria”. You can look forward to a varied lunch menu, coffee and cake as well as a selected evening and wine menu.
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Exhibition View
Exhibition View, Photo: Andreas Endermann
Exhibition View, Photo: Anne Orthen
Exhibition View, Photo: Anne Orthen
Exhibition View, Photo: Andreas Endermann
Exhibition View, Photo: Anne Orthen
Exhibition View, Photo: Anne Orthen
Exhibition View, Photo: Andreas Endermann
Exhibition View, Photo: Andreas Endermann
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Image Credits
Image Credits