G2 Kunsthalle

The G2 Kunsthalle is a venue for contemporary art in the heart of Leipzig. Since its foundation in March 2015, it has been permanently and publicly exhibiting works from the private Hildebrand Collection, including works by renowned national and international artists as well as emerging artists at the beginning of their careers. The collection includes, among others, Alvaro Barrington, Norbert Bisky, Andrea Bowers, Miriam Cahn, Marcel Dzama, Simon Fujiwara, General Idea, Anne Imhof, Alicja Kwade, Rosa Loy, Conny Maier, Jeanette Mundt, Oscar Murillo, Tal R, Neo Rauch, Daniel Richter, Thomas Ruff, Thomas Schütte, Dana Schutz, Wolfgang Tillmans, Nora Turato, and Matthias Weischer.

In addition to presenting the collection, the G2 Kunsthalle regularly organizes special exhibitions in collaboration with artists. Through its two formats—collection presentations and special exhibitions—the G2 Kunsthalle offers Leipzig audiences the opportunity to engage with various facets of contemporary art and current artistic developments.

The G2 Kunsthalle is located on the third floor of the former data center on Dittrichring in central Leipzig. It offers more than 2,000 square meters of exhibition space in bright, spacious rooms. The glass lounge provides an excellent view of St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche).

In 2022, the G2 Kunsthalle was expanded to include the G2 Schaulager. Located on an additional floor, the Schaulager combines the exhibition of contemporary art with open storage of the collection. An installed storage wall system provides visitors with insights into how the works are stored, complemented by traditional exhibition spaces. Together, the G2 Kunsthalle and G2 Schaulager offer a program comprising six to seven special exhibitions each year.

Since 2017, the G2 Kunsthalle, together with the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig), has awarded the G2 Kunsthalle Master Class Award (Meisterschüler*innenpreis) annually. The prize comes with €10,000 as well as a studio space in Leipzig for a period of one year.

Located directly next to the Kunsthalle der Sparkasse Leipzig, the G2 Kunsthalle can be reached on foot in just five minutes from the Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig (MdbK) or the Gallery of Contemporary Art (GfZK). It is therefore an integral part of Leipzig’s city-center exhibition landscape for contemporary art.

A selection of press reviews and publications about the G2 Kunsthalle can be found here.

Exhibition view G2 Kunsthalle. Photo: Dotgain.info©

Central-Halle (1848–1898)

The G2 is located in Leipzig’s city center at the corner of Dittrichring and Gottschedstraße opposite St. Thomas Church.

The location recalls the historical significance of the site: on the same spot– on the grounds of Lurgenstein’s Garden – was the famous Central Hall (built between 1848 and 1849). This building also featured large representative halls and served as an exhibition hall for industrial and art exhibitions in Leipzig in the second half of the 19th century. Prominent balls were held in the magnificent Unionssaal. In addition, the Central Hall was also used for lectures, concerts and other events. In October 1863, for example, the banquet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig was held here.

In the course of the restructuring measures on the Promenadenring, the Central-Halle was demolished in 1898 – 50 years after its construction. It was followed by the representative new building of the Kommandatur, which in turn was destroyed during the air raids on Leipzig between 1943 and 1944.

The present building was constructed between 1986 and 1989 as part of the final phase of the redevelopment of the Kolonnadenviertel as the VEB data processing center. The closure of the gap between the buildings, which had been used as a parking lot for many decades after the end of the war, marked a break with the tradition of the location, which seemed to be forgotten and was perceived as painful in Leipzig.

After the political upheaval that began in 1989, the computer center was put to various uses. 25 years after its construction, the building has been thoroughly renovated and now has a third floor that has been converted into an art gallery. The central location and the wide, bright rooms with ceilings over four meters high offer ideal conditions for the exhibition activities of the newly founded G2.

The establishment of the G2 Kunsthalle as an exhibition venue for contemporary art not only recalls the historicity of the location, but also updates it and relates it to recent history. In this way, a part of Leipzig’s cultural history is perpetuated for the future.

To visit the current special exhibition as well as our permanent exhibition, please check our opening hours and/or register online for our guided tours.

G2 Kunsthalle in the press (selection)

KubaParis – Zeitschrift für Junge Kunst, 9. Juli 2018 (Link external source)
Leipziger Volkszeitung, 5. Juli 2018 (Link external source)
KubaParis – Zeitschrift für Junge Kunst, 26. Juni 2018 (Link external source)
Independent Collectors, 23. April 2018 (Link external source)
mdr KULTUR, 6. Dezember 2017 (Link external source)
Mephisto 97.6, 20. November 2017 (Link external source)
The Leipzig Glocal, 18. Oktober 2017 (Link external source)
ArtMapp Blog, 12. Oktober 2017 (Link external source)
Tagesspiegel, 21. August 2017 (Link external source)
Independent Collectors, 2. August 2017 (Link external source)
Artsy, 6. Juni 2017 (Link external source)
ArtMapp Blog, 25. Mai 2017 (Link external source)
Mephisto 97.6, 16. Mai 2017 (Link external source)
Il Sole 24 Ore, 28. April 2017 (Link external source)
ArtMapp Blog, 22. März 2017 (Link external source)
BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors, 22. März 2017 (Link external source)
Independent Collectors, 9. März 2017 (Link external source)
The Leipzig Glocal, 1. Februar 2017 (Link external source)
Art Viewer, 5. Dezember 2016 (Link external source)
Daily Lazy, 1. November 2016 (Link external source)
Artsy, 24. Oktober 2016 (Link external source)
Independent Collectors, 19. September 2016 (Link external source)
The Leipzig Glocal, 16. September 2016 (Link external source)
MDR Kultur, 26. Juli 2016, Radiobeitrag, 3:33 min (Link external source)
The Leipzig Glocal, 13. Juli 2016 (Link external source)
ARTSY Collections, Oktober 2015 (Link external source)
BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors, week 32 2015 (Link external source)
ART. Das Kunstmagazin, Online-Ausgabe, 19. März 2015 (Link external source)
ArtMapp Magazin, März-Juni 2015, Ausg. 8, 4.Jg., S. 30-31 (Link external source)
MEPHISTO 976 Radio, 17. August 2015 (Link external source)

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