The Ultimate Guide to Hamburg's Art Scene

Near the Alster – Hamburg’s 160-hectare (395-acre) city-centre lake – lies the Kunstmeile (art mile). Here, all within walking distance of each other, are the five major art institutions: the Bucerius Kunst Forum, the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Kunstverein Hamburg and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. Each boasts stunning collections of contemporary and historical art in a range of media, from painting and sculpture to photography and applied art. It’s worth buying the Kunstmeile pass so you can visit them all at a reduced rate of €36 (£30/US$38 – discounts available). Below, we highlight three of these famed art institutions.

Boasting a phenomenal permanent collection of art from the past 700 years, the Hamburger Kunsthalle offers visitors a rich overview of European art history through an array of periods and styles. These include important German mediaeval paintings and the golden age of 17th-century Dutch painting. The Kunsthalle’s enviable collection of Old Masters is counterbalanced by the contemporary works housed in the Galerie der Gegenwart in response to the changing landscape of contemporary art. Make sure you see German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog during your visit.

Hamburger Kunsthalle, Glockengießerwall, Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 42 81 31 200

With over 500,000 objects from antiquity to the present, MKG tells the story of 4,000 years of human history through a celebrated collection of art and crafts. Their Art Nouveau holdings are world-renowned, as is their example of famed Danish interior designer Verner Panton’s orange canteen. Emphasising the connection between recent and historico-cultural topics, MKG also presents intriguing exhibitions on everything from comics to fashion icons such as Coco Chanel.

Steintorpl, 20099 Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 42 81 34 880

Housed in two former market halls, the stunning steel and glass industrial architecture of the Deichtorhallen is the ideal backdrop for its presentation of contemporary art and photography. In the grandeur of the northern Deichtorhalle, the focus is on large-scale exhibitions by internationally acclaimed painters, sculptors and designers, which in the past have included Andy Warhol, Martin Kippenberger and Louise Bourgeois. The southern Deichtorhalle concentrates on photographic exhibitions, and hosts the Triennial of Photography Hamburg every three years.

Deichtorhallen, Deichtorstraße 1, Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 32 1030

There are more than 50 independent galleries to discover in Hamburg. The highest concentration of these can be found in the Fleetinsel area and the Kontorhaus district, but if you go a littler further a field you can encounter some of the most exciting emerging and urban art the city has to offer.

In the labyrinthine industrial canal district, you’ll find one of the city’s leading contemporary art galleries, Produzentengalerie. Founded in 1973, it’s known for its innovative exhibitions of internationally renowned artists like Ulla von Brandenburg and Astrid Klein.
Admiralitätstrasse 71, Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 37 8232

Set up 17 years ago by two artists in the former first-class waiting room of the Hamburg–Harburg Station, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof bridges the gap between museum and commercial gallery with a critically engaged roster of contemporary art shows.

Hannoversche Str. 85, 21079 Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 76 75 3896

The premise of Feinkunst Krüger is to promote the work of young artists, giving them the much-needed step up the art career ladder. Just one year off its 20th anniversary, the gallery continues to present an engaging monthly exhibition programme.

Kohlhöfen 8, 20355 Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 31 79 2158

Affenfaust Galerie has established a respected and much-needed platform for urban art in the last couple of years alongside organising the KNOTENPUNKT Festival. In their collection of industrial spaces, the gallery hosts a distinctly broad range of shows as well as street art commissions around the city.
Paul-Roosen-Straße 43, 22767 Hamburg, Germany, +49 176 75 53 3188

Take the Alternative Hamburg tour to discover the best street art populating Hamburg’s urban landscape. Run by a group of enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides from various backgrounds, you’ll encounter a mixture of international and local graffiti and street artists on the pay-what-you-like walking tour.

In November, 80 local, national and international galleries will showcase a veritable feast of contemporary art at the Affordable Art Fair Hamburg. With thousands of works – including paintings, prints, sculpture and photography – priced under €7,500, this four-day art fair is the perfect place for a budding art collector to find fresh new talent for their home. And, with a free crèche for children between 2–10 years old, you can peruse the isles of the Hamburg Messe und Congress Centre without distraction as you invest in your collection.

Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, Messeplatz 1, 20357 Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 43 09 36 893

Set up in 2009 to save an extraordinary set of historic buildings in the heart of Hamburg from demolition, Gaengeviertel offers a diverse programme of events for both locals and international travellers. At the centre of this vibrant alternative area of the city is the old 20th-century factory on Valentinskamp (it’s listed on the cultural monuments of Hamburg register) where the majority of exhibitions, concerts, workshops and talks are hosted.

Valentinskamp 28A, 20355 Hamburg, Germany, +49 40 22 60 0791