Right in the green heart of Emden, directly on the city moat and not far from the historic old town, stands the Kunsthalle Emden - a red brick building with a glass façade that combines classic modern architecture with a contemporary extension. Since its opening in 1986 by Henri Nannen, together with the later donation by Otto van de Loo, it has been an art location of national importance.
The Kunsthalle shows changing exhibitions of 20th and 21st century art on around 1,700 m² with a collection focus on classical expressionism, New Objectivity, Art Informel, Cobra art and contemporary positions. Works by artists such as Emil Nolde, Erich Heckel and Max Pechstein can be discovered there as well as modern highlights thanks to the generous commitment practice after 2000. The museum is regarded as a cultural beacon and home to one of the most important art collections in East Frisia.
Architecturally, the Kunsthalle impresses with a spacious, light-flooded foyer with public staircases and a boat dock on the water - an urban showcase for the city. The extension in 2000 and the comprehensive modernization in 2007 expanded the exhibition space and provided a modern air-conditioning system, flexibility in the available space and barrier-free access. An atrium with a covered hall allows cultural formats such as concerts, lectures or dinners to be held in stylish surroundings.
The program includes three to four major special exhibitions a year as well as a changing selection of collection presentations - regularly supplemented by artistic mediation, workshops or thematic accompanying formats. The museum also has an adjoining painting school, which introduces visitors of all ages to creative design.
The Kunsthalle Emden is a place for artistic encounters that vividly conveys art history, provides creative impulses and allows art to be experienced both visually and sensually - embedded in the maritime culture and atmosphere of East Frisia.
