The Städelschule's exhibition space for contemporary art on the Main island by the Alte Brücke – changing solo shows with free admission.
October 3, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Solo exhibition by Kobby Adi exploring the relationship between work, audience, place, and interior and exterior space, breaking down seemingly fixed boundaries between them. Accompanied by a publication.
The Portikus was founded in 1987, when Kasper König became rector of Frankfurt's Städelschule art academy and made it a condition that he receive his own independent exhibition hall. Within just a few months, a simple hall made of container elements was built behind the surviving columned portico of the Alte Stadtbibliothek (Old City Library), which had been destroyed in the war – the portico gave the venue its name. The Portikus opened during the Book Fair in October 1987 with a show by Dieter Roth.
When the city had the Alte Stadtbibliothek rebuilt for the Literaturhaus, the exhibition hall had to make way. After an interim period in the Leinwandhaus in the Old Town, the Portikus moved in May 2006 into a new building by architect Christoph Mäckler on the Main island next to the Alte Brücke, funded by the Stiftung Giersch. Beneath the glazed roof, Ólafur Elíasson installed a light work at the time, which has glowed outward in the evenings since 2006 and now belongs to the collection of MUSEUM MMK.
The Portikus has no collection of its own. It presents consecutively numbered solo and group exhibitions, often the first institutional showing of young international artists, alongside works by established names. Past guests include Gerhard Richter, Bruce Nauman, Wolfgang Tillmans and Adrian Piper. The venue is part of the Städelschule, receives permanent funding from the City of Frankfurt, and publishes books and editions to accompany many of its exhibitions.
Admission is free.
Admission is free.
The main exhibition space is at ground level with step-free access; the lower gallery and the mezzanine can only be reached by stairs. Accessible restroom available; assistance dogs welcome.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Schöne Aussicht
Buses to Schöne Aussicht or Elisabethenstraße; subway to Konstablerwache or Schweizer Platz, then walk across the Alte Brücke.
No on-site parking at the museum.
No dedicated parking. The Dom-Römer (Domstraße 1) and Alt-Sachsenhausen (Walter-Kolb-Straße 16) parking garages are recommended.
The Portikus is located on the Main island by the Alte Brücke, between the Old Town and Sachsenhausen.
Get directionsThe museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
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