History

In 1990, Lower Austrian artist Wolfgang Denk introduced his idea of turning the former Stein tobacco factory into modern Kunsthalle. Both enthusiasm and skepticism were expressed in equal measure at the time.

Wolfgang Denk’s ambitious idea was taken up by the cultural policymakers of the state of Lower Austria. The Kunsthalle Krems Gesmbh was established in 1991. At first, the Minoritenkirche was used for presenting a diverse artistic program, while an architectural competition was announced for the redesign of the tobacco factory. Erich Grabner, the mayor of Krems at the time, supported the Kunsthalle Krems from the very beginning.

In 1992, architect Adolf Krischanitz emerged as the winner of the competition. He impressed the jury with a design concept that sensitively integrated the old building fabric into a newly created structure. In 1994 and 1995, the historic old building was revitalized and expanded to 1,400 sqm. The Kunsthalle Krems was officially opened on March 31, 1995. The first exhibition in the new building—Wasser & Wein, curated by renowned art historian Werner Hofmann—followed in May of the same year.

An ambitious project, the Kunsthalle Krems marked the beginning of an unparalleled museum boom. It was the first exhibition venue on what is now known as the Kunstmeile Krems, which today offers a comprehensive and sophisticated cultural program involving a multitude of museums.

Wolfang Denk oversaw the new exhibition building for two years. He understood the Kunsthalle Krems as an avant-garde venue. After "Wasser & Wein" he presented "Chaos, Wahnsinn. Permutationen der zeitgenössischen Kunst."

Founding director Wolfgang Denk was suceeded by Carl Aigner, who had previously curated several important photo exhibitions at the Kunsthalle Krems.

His program reflected artistic reactions to current social changes, such as digitalization. Under his direction, Arnulf Rainer’s work was also honored with a retrospective show.

Even before being appointed as director in October 2003, Tayfun Belgin had organized several successful exhibitions—especially on nineteenth-century art. His maxim “telling stories” not only had a far-reaching effect on the future of the program, but also inspired the exhibition "Renoir und das Frauenbild des Impressionismus." The pre-opening of the show on March 31, 2005 coincided with the tenth-anniversary celebrations of the Kunsthalle Krems.

Following the well-received show "Harem—Geheimnis des Orients," director Belgin continued the Kunsthalle’s successful trajectory with the exhibitions "Triumph der Schönheit. Epoche der Salonmalerei von Makart bis Rosetti" and "Die ungarische Seele. Realismus im Land der Magyaren" in 2006. 

Dieter Buchhart took over as the new director of the Kunsthalle Krems in January 2008. He continued the high-level presentations of themed exhibitions, while expanding the focus to encompass the nineteenth century and classical modernism to contemporary art. 

From 2009 to 2015, Hans-Peter Wipplinger organized exhibitions for the Kunsthalle Krems catering to both specialist audiences and the general public. Under his direction, the program featured retrospectives on the work of Kiki Kogelnik, Martha Jungwirth, and Francis Picabia, as well as the exhibition "Von Engeln & Bengeln. 400 Jahre Kinder im Porträt."

Florian Steininger has been the artistic director of the Kunsthalle Krems since 2016. His program focuses on art since 1945, with a special emphasis on international contemporary art.