K21 Collection
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Installation view, Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, 2023, photo credit: Achim Kukulies -
Installation view, Hito Steyerl, 2022, photo credit: Achim Kukulies -
Installation view, Carsten Nicolai, 2022, photo credit: Achim Kukulies -
Installation view, Fritsch, 2022, photo credit: Achim Kukulies -
Installation view, Isa Genzken, 2022, photo credit: Achim Kukulies -
Salon21, photo credit: Sebastian Drüen
K21 presents the international contemporary art collection of the Kunstsammlung North Rhine-Westphalia and is located in the former Ständehaus by the Kaiserteich in Düsseldorf. While temporary exhibitions are shown in the museum’s basement and on the Bel Etage, the permanent collection of contemporary art is displayed on the second and third floors in galleries surrounding the arcades. The collection includes photographs by Thomas Struth, sculptures by Thomas Schütte, and video art by Robert Wilson, among others. A key highlight is Reinhard Mucha’s “Das Deutschlandgerät” (The Germany Device, 1990/2021), installed in the former plenary hall since K21 opened in 2002. This work reflects the historical dimensions of contemporary artistic practice.
The ever-evolving exhibition on the second and third floors features a variety of new acquisitions. In 2021 and 2022, the museum acquired notable works, such as a large-scale series of drawings by Sabine Moritz, striking black-and-white photographs from Syria and Iraq by Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, and a six-part ensemble of geometric-abstract paintings by Sabrina Fritsch. More recently, paintings by Tamina Amadyar, Paul Czerlitzki, and Anna Boghiguian were added to the collection, all reflecting the relevance of politically and aesthetically engaged contemporary art. These paintings are exhibited alongside William Kentridge’s video installation “Tide Table” (2002).
Exploring International Contemporary Art
There is no set path for exploring the K21 collection, allowing visitors to discover a wide range of international art from the 1990s onward at their own pace. A standout piece is the multimedia installation “SocialSim” (2020) by renowned video artist Hito Steyerl. Created for her 2020 exhibition “I Will Survive” at K21, this installation critically examines the overwhelming flow of online information, the potential of digital technologies, social simulation, and artificial intelligence.
Another important acquisition is Marcel Odenbach’s dual projection “Beweis zu nichts” (Proof of Nothing, 2017), which was acquired from his solo exhibition at K21 in 2021. This film collage reflects on the history of the Buchenwald concentration camp, later transformed into a Stalinist-style memorial in East Germany, contributing to the ongoing work of remembrance. Henrike Naumann’s installation “Das Reich” (2017), located in the adjacent room, similarly explores the complex layers of East and West German history.
On the first floor, on the east side of K21, is the Dorothee and Konrad Fischer Archive. Regularly rotating displays of documents and artworks showcase the pioneering work of the Düsseldorf gallery and highlight the ideas of leading artists from the second half of the 20th-century. Next to the archive is Salon21, where the K21 Encounters program hosts lectures, and screenings and public discussions related to current exhibitions are presented on selected dates.
Reaching us
K21
Ständehausstrasse 1
40217 Düsseldorf
Bus stop:
Graf-Adolf-Platz
Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday, public holiday
11 am – 6 pm
Visitor’s service
Registration and information
Tel +49 (0) 211 8381-204
service@kunstsammlung.de
