Düsseldorf Art Gallery

The art scene in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf has a vibrant art scene. Well-known artists such as Jörg Immendorff, Joseph Beuys and Markus Lüpsertz, who once worked in Düsseldorf, continue to shape the city to this day. Numerous studios and galleries in Düsseldorf offer young artists the opportunity to meet and draw inspiration from the city’s art scene. Alongside its diverse range of art galleries, Düsseldorf is also characterised by venues for cultural and artistic exchange. One such venue is the Düsseldorf Art Academy. It is an indispensable part of the city’s art scene, as well as the international art community. At the Düsseldorf Art Academy, the focus is on free artistic development, with the aim of enabling students to develop their own individual artistic voice and personality. Many graduates of the academy exhibit their work in Düsseldorf’s galleries. Another significant venue on Düsseldorf’s art scene is the NRW-Forum. This international cultural centre exhibits art covering a wide range of disciplines, including design, architecture and contemporary photography. It is therefore a key venue for art exhibitions in Düsseldorf. However, the Forum is not used solely as an art gallery. It also hosts other events such as trade fairs, symposia and film screenings.

Art lovers in Düsseldorf will find plenty to enjoy, particularly in the lively Flingern district. This art and culture hotspot in Düsseldorf is home to various internationally renowned art galleries, such as the Linn Lühn and Schönewald galleries. Furthermore, events such as ‘Kunstpunkte’ and ‘Flingern at night’, or the ‘Zakk’ (Centre for Contemporary Art), are sure to set art lovers’ hearts racing. A detour to Carlstadt is also well worth it. This quieter district offers a high concentration of cultural venues, art exhibitions and galleries in Düsseldorf.

Must-see art galleries in Düsseldorf

In Carlstadt, housed in an 18th-century townhouse, is the Beck und Eggeling. It exhibits works by renowned artists from various artistic movements. The gallery owners, Ute Eggeling and Michael Beck, place great emphasis on art exhibitions that transcend both time and artistic disciplines.  Here, in the two exhibition rooms, ancient art sometimes meets contemporary works, or painting meets ceramic art. Works on display range from Impressionism and Expressionism, through classical modernism and post-war modernism, to contemporary art. The Düsseldorf gallery’s portfolio includes high-calibre artists, amongst them Manolo Valdés, Heinz Mack and the late Magdalena Abakanowicz.

The Linn Lühn gallery, named after its gallery owner, is situated in the trendy Flingern district. Lühn deliberately works only with a small number of emerging and established artists from various countries. The focus is on close collaboration with the artists and representing their interests. Artists’ books and other publications complement the exhibitions. In addition to the art gallery, which is housed in the premises of a former drinks warehouse, Lühn has opened a second venue: Linn Lühn x Gusch. The collaboration with Gusch provides a space for fine and applied art, architecture and design.

Also in Flingern is the Schönewald gallery. Enthusiasts of American and German post-war and contemporary art will find what they’re looking for here. This is the specialism of the founder of the Düsseldorf art gallery, Paul Schönewald. He exhibits works by well-known artists such as Josef Albers, Georg Baselitz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, John Chamberlain and Agnes Martin in the premises of a former hydraulics factory. Schönewald continually supports emerging talent, who bring a wealth of surprises to the gallery’s art exhibitions in Düsseldorf.

Tradition meets innovation

Another art gallery in Düsseldorf that is well worth a visit is situated in a prime location on the famous Königsallee: the Paffrath gallery. Now in its fifth generation, this family-run business is one of the few long-established institutions in the German art trade. The Düsseldorf gallery was founded as early as 1867 by J. B. Paffrath. The master joiner laid the foundations for the gallery’s art collection through his transport business, which he used to ship works by Düsseldorf artists to America. Building on this foundation, he then established the gallery in Düsseldorf in 1867. The gallery specialises in paintings and watercolours from the 19th and 20th centuries. Anyone with a fondness for Scandinavian plein air painting, Impressionist and Expressionist art, still lifes, landscape painting or French and German post-war art, will certainly find what they’re looking for at this art gallery in Düsseldorf.

Young talent and diverse approaches

The gallery is situated in a particularly fascinating location KIT, short for ‘Kunst im Tunnel’ (Art in the Tunnel). It is situated in a space between two tunnel tubes used by cars. This gallery in Düsseldorf can be reached via the KIT Café, which is located in a glass pavilion on the Rhine promenade. The exhibition space is a 140-metre-long tunnel running parallel to the Rhine. Changing art exhibitions are held four times a year, with a particular focus on group exhibitions by young artists. KIT is committed to promoting and fostering exchange amongst young international artists. It enables them to freely express their individual perspectives and personalities. Art lovers can discover contemporary works in this fascinating art gallery, spanning the fields of photography, sculpture, painting, video art and installation art in this fascinating art gallery, whilst supporting emerging artists. KIT also offers workshops and guided tours.

The Droste gallery, like many other galleries in Düsseldorf, is situated in the trendy Flingern district. It is primarily dedicated to exhibiting painting and sculpture. In doing so, this art gallery in Düsseldorf offers a platform to artists who challenge the traditions of European art and question conventional perspectives on it. The focus is on social change and the challenges associated with it. The Düsseldorf gallery places great importance on fostering a sense of community and highlighting diverse socio-cultural practices, as well as supporting young artists.

The art galleries in Düsseldorf offer a wide variety of artworks by emerging and established artists. Art enthusiasts will find everything their hearts desire in the city’s galleries, from 19th-century paintings and watercolours from the 19th century, through works of classical and post-war modernism, right up to contemporary art – everything their hearts desire. The art galleries in Düsseldorf, combined with the vibrant art scene and the numerous cultural centres, offer an inspiring environment that invites both art enthusiasts and artists to give free rein to their creativity.

Düsseldorf artists at the Student Art Market

The Student Art Market also features artists from the Düsseldorf Art Academy in its portfolio. Finn Loud, for example, creates fascinating oil paintings. He has been deeply impressed by the intense impact of oil paint, and he uses the canvas to explore his inner world and escape the monotony of everyday life. His works are characterised by intuitive and psychedelic approaches, as well as a penchant for storytelling. Sam Parsei often incorporates elements from nature, architecture and still lifes, which he simplifies and abstracts, rendering them on canvas in his own visual language. He is particularly fascinated by the interplay between forms he draws from the real world and those he creates himself. This results in works of art that invite the viewer to rediscover the familiar, without it being clearly defined.