The Kö-Bogen, situated directly on Corneliusplatz and in a prime location on Königsallee, is surrounded by an impressive neighbourhood that uniquely combines style, urbanity and culture. One such neighbour is the Art Collection of North Rhine-Westphalia, which enriches Düsseldorf's art scene with no fewer than two key venues: the K20 and K21 showcase modern and contemporary art in the heart of the city.
K20 on Grabbeplatz
Located on Grabbeplatz in the heart of the Old Town, the K20 is the collection's primary venue. The building is characterised by its black granite façade. Inside, across 25 rooms, an impressive tour of the collection unfolds, featuring more than 200 works of classical modernism from 1904 to 2023.
K21 in the Ständehaus
The two museums are linked by the magnificent Kö and Graf-Adolf-Platz. The K21, housed in the former Ständehaus on the Kaiserteich, once the seat of the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament, now combines international contemporary art with exceptional architecture. Four wings of the building provide space for large-scale installations, multimedia works and global perspectives and surround a spacious piazza. Particularly impressive is the light-filled domed roof on the top floor, which, with its 1,919 glass panes, forms a spectacular backdrop.
Klee, Picasso, Beuys, Richter
Its origins lie in the works of Paul Klee. Today, the two sites, covering a total of over 10,000 m², house significant works from the 20th and 21st centuries. Highlights include artists such as Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Gerhard Richter, Jackson Pollock, Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik and Louise Bourgeois.
Under the leadership of Director Susanne Gaensheimer, the Kunstsammlung NRW is continually expanding its collection and enriching it with changing special exhibitions, accompanying programmes and innovative projects. This constantly yields new perspectives on creativity, society and the present day.
On the culinary front, the K20 impresses with a pop-up bar run by the renowned Düsseldorf hotspot Lido, whilst at the K21, Pardo's restaurant, run by the award-winning catering service Lemonpie, invites visitors to linger.
For us, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is far more than just a museum. Both venues bridge the past and the present, combining regional and international elements and creating a space where art can be experienced in all its facets.
Further information: kunstsammlung.de
Photo: © Düsseldorf Tourismus GmbH
