Municipal exhibition hall for contemporary art in Gießen's city hall on Berliner Platz, with changing exhibitions – free admission.
August 14, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The Congolese-German duo Christ Mukenge and Lydia Schellhammer combines painting with video, VR and performance, exploring collective authorship and (post)colonial narratives. A collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kinshasa.
November 27, 2026 – March 7, 2027
Groups of works by the Cologne-based photo and performance artist who has been questioning identity, the body and gender roles since the 1970s, including the large-format photo tableau "Schlachtfelder" (Battlefields).
Gießen already had a municipal Kunsthalle before 2009: it was located in the Kongresshalle on Berliner Platz, built in 1966 to plans by Sven Markelius, and offered just under 300 square meters of space for artists from beyond the region, local groups and projects by the university's art history institute.
When the new city hall was built across the square, a larger exhibition space was planned from the outset. In spring 2009 the Kunsthalle moved into the so-called Kulturrathaus (cultural city hall), which it shares with the city library, the city archive and a concert hall. Since then it has had around 400 to 450 square meters at its disposal.
The Kunsthalle has no collection of its own and presents several changing exhibitions a year featuring national and international positions in contemporary art, several times as the artist's first institutional solo exhibition in Germany. Performance, collaborations with the university, the Stadttheater and international partners, and an education program are also part of its work. Since 2017 the art historian Nadia Ismail has directed the institution.
After a renovation in which the ventilation was replaced and the entrance moved to Berliner Platz, the Kunsthalle reopened in April 2023.
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Free admission for everyone. |
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Free admission. A small participation fee is charged for some accompanying events (e.g. "Kunst und Kaffee").
Accessible main entrance on Berliner Platz with an automatic door; the exhibition rooms are entirely step-free. Accessible restroom on the first floor of the adjoining city hall, which also has a tactile floor guidance system (not in the Kunsthalle). Accessible parking space in the city hall parking garage. Portable stools are available free of charge at the coat check.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Berliner Platz
From Gießen Hauptbahnhof (main station), city bus 2 to "Berliner Platz", line 24 to "Stadttheater" or line 520 to "Behördenzentrum"; about a 10-minute walk from the main station.
City hall parking garage on Berliner Platz (also has an accessible parking space).
Exhibition catalogs and publications are available through the Kunsthalle's online shop.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
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| Good to know | Art educators are available in the exhibition for conversation every Saturday from 14:00 to 16:00. One-hour Sunday tours at 15:00 on selected dates, plus curator-led tours and artist talks as listed in the program. |
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