For years, the Kunstpalast—Düsseldorf’s great treasure trove—was only partially open to the public due to renovation and modernization work; at times, the extensive collection could not be displayed at all. It wasn’t until the fall of 2023 that the museum reopened its doors. Since then, visitors have been able to view entirely new curatorial arrangements in 49 rooms ranging from elegantly to experimentally designed. Works of historical and contemporary art, crafts and design, light art, and prints are brought into dialogue with one another in the chronological tour through the exhibition.
The museum’s collection captivates with its diversity and quality; it is estimated to comprise more than 130,000 objects. But the curators led by Director General Felix Krämer are showing courage. They allow for gaps—both in content and in space. This gives both the visitors and the art room to breathe. Some 800 works spanning eleven centuries and hailing from various continents have made it into the new collection presentation, which extends over two floors in the U-shaped building. The new centerpiece is the Bronner Hall, home to the collection’s main and core work, Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Assumption of the Virgin,” which dates back to the collection’s founders: Elector Jan Wellem (1658–1716)—whose memory lives on in Düsseldorf—and his art-loving wife, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici.
However, this truly enormous oil painting by Rubens is not integrated among the other works by Flemish masters in the collection; instead, it hangs next to the “Earth Cloth” by the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, created in 2003 from colorful aluminum bottle caps. An almost iconic staircase is equally captivating and leads visitors further along the newly created, constantly surprising exhibition route. The path leads past, for example, an artfully designed Rococo dress made of silk damask, through a dense display of works by the world-renowned Düsseldorf School of Painting, as well as to Richter, electric razors, and rhinos. The latter are small rhinos designed to engage young visitors and make the art experience a fun adventure. For example, in the children’s rooms designed specifically for the little ones, located in the middle of the tour. The Kunstpalast’s free app invites visitors to join various tours for children and adults, and also offers augmented reality elements for a more immersive engagement with the art.
The series of sensational special exhibitions will continue after the collection reopens. They will continue to take place in the East Wing, which also leads to another highlight of the museum: the chamber music hall named after Robert Schumann. And glass art will also be on display in 2024 with the reopening of the Kunstpalast’s in-house glass collection.
Club as a Museum Piece
The long—and unprecedented—exhibition route through the Kunstpalast, tracing Düsseldorf’s and international art history, is sure to work up an appetite. The new Kunstpalast offers ample space for a break at the Anna Maria Café and Restaurant, complete with a great view of the Kunstpalast grounds. The Creamcheese-Raum, a legendary Düsseldorf underground club from the 1960s, also invites visitors to linger until late in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays with the perfect drinks and music.
