IM KINOSAAL
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In 2025, the motto of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf is “Farewell to Kunsthalle”, marking the temporary closure of the brutalist building on Grabbeplatz. From 2026, it will undergo extensive renovations, lasting up to three years.
With the exhibition IM KINOSAAL, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf pays tribute to its most striking space: the “Kinosaal” (cinema hall). Its up to 12 meter high ceilings and a 17 meter wide end wall create an atmosphere that is both imposing and awe-inspiring – a space that challenges perception and serves as the exhibition’s central inspiration.
The large end wall of the Kinosaal, perfect for projections, transforms the room into a monumental cinema. IM KINOSAAL builds on this potential, presenting a wall-sized projection paired with a sound installation. Throughout its three-month run, this installation will serve as a stage for local and regional artists, offering them up to a week at a time for audiovisual experimentation.
IM KINOSAAL also explores the audiovisual heritage of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf’s neighborhood. The city is internationally renowned for its influential music and sound culture: from Krautrock and electronic music (including Kraftwerk, Neu!, La Düsseldorf) to punk (including Die Toten Hosen, Fehlfarben) to classical music and jazz (including Robert and Clara Schumann, Hauschka). The intersection of music/sound and visual arts has a long and dynamic history in Düsseldorf, closely linked to the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where interdisciplinary collaboration has flourished for decades. Kunsthalle Düsseldorf has repeatedly provided a stage for this creative synergy, hosting performances, concerts and the fusion of music/sound and visual art.
A special role is played by the artists’ bar Salon des Amateurs, which opened at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf in 2004. Founded by former art academy students Aaron Mehzion, Detlef Weinrich, and Stefano Brivio, it quickly became a hub for artistic exchange and musical experimentation. Its carefully curated music program has nurtured many renowned musicians, DJs, and producers over the years. In 2024, the Salon celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of inspiring neighborliness with the Kunsthalle – a chapter that will temporarily close with the renovation and move out of the building in 2026.
IM KINOSAAL is more than a reflection of the architecture of the Kinosaal and the fusion of music/sound and art. It also tells an emotional story of creative exchange and community, capturing the spirit of the past two decades.
