Dortmunder Kunstverein

Founded at the end of 1984 through a civic initiative as a non-profit organization to promote and present contemporary visual art in Dortmund, the Dortmunder Kunstverein e.V. has established itself as an institution for contemporary art in the city. Since 2022, it has been located in new premises in close proximity to the Dortmunder U - Zentrum für Kunst und Kreativität.

With up to four annually curated solo and group exhibitions featuring current national and international positions, the Kunstverein establishes itself as a place for exchange and social dialogue. Complemented by a diverse program of public discussion formats with artists and experts, performances, guided tours, films, lectures, and the publication of books, the Kunstverein offers an open platform for discussions on relevant ways of thinking and issues in contemporary visual art and society.

In the 1980s and 90s, the Kunstverein presented solo exhibitions by renowned artists such as Hanne Darboven, Joseph Beuys, Roman Signer, Richard Serra, and Dortmund-born Martin Kippenberger at its changing locations. Today, our program focuses increasingly on young projects in contemporary art that have not yet been established. 

After four consecutive nominations, the Dortmunder Kunstverein received the ADKV-ART COLOGNE Prize for Art Associations in 2023. Since 2006, this prize has been awarded annually to one of the over 300 art associations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for their program over the past three years, recognizing particularly innovative programming and mediation work.