The Academy! The Art Collection! And of course: lots of museums! Düsseldorf is held in high international esteem when it comes to art and does plenty of things to ensure that this good reputation remains intact. The result? Innovative exhibition concepts for painting, sculpture and photography. Length: two half-days, by public transport (part 1) and on foot (part 2).
The permanent exhibition in the (1) K20 base station on Grabbeplatz focuses on paintings from the 20th century. In addition to individual works by Picasso, through Beuys, to Kirkeby, you can also find around 100 works by Paul Klee, who was a Professor at the Düsseldorf Academy of Arts between 1931 and 1933. The temporary exhibitions with works of famous artists attract particularly large numbers of visitors.
By means of public transport, or with a rented bicycle from the museum (with a small refundable deposit) in summer, we reach the (2) K21 in the historic Ständehaus. The branch for art from the 21st century is located next to the Kaiserteich pond – ideal for a break between the exhibitions.
On the first Wednesday of every month, the K20 and K21 organise themed tours and special events. Admission is free.
Kunstsammlung NRW
(2) K21
Ehrenhof
Part 2
The tour on the second half-day takes us back to Düsseldorf’s beginnings as a city of art, the (3)Kunstakademie (Academy of Arts). This tradition of promoting artists actually dates back to the year 1772, when the elector Carl Theodor opened the academy. It experienced its first heyday with the Düsseldorf School of Painting. However, it only became well-known thanks to the names of its pupils and professors, including Joseph Beuys, Jörg Immendorff, Bernd Becher and Rosemarie Trockel amongst others. The Academy of Arts has encouraged – and often provoked – discussions, and still brings international attention to the art metropolis of Düsseldorf.
The culturally and architecturally important Ehrenhof-Ensemble (Court of Honour), in which two extremely interesting exhibition halls have found their home, is located just a few hundred metres away.
The (4)Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast (Kunstpalast Museum) exhibits works from the Düsseldorf School of Painting as well as classic modern works and, after 1945, started to build a collection of present-day art.
