Bielefelder Kunstverein

The Kunstverein Bielefeld is a non-profit organisation in the centre of Bielefeld dedicated to showing contemporary art. It sits in the Waldhof, a 16th-century aristocratic residence built in the Weser Renaissance style. Parts of the building date back to the 13th century when Bielefeld was founded, and the Gothic cellar vault survives from an even earlier period.

The association was set up in 1929 by Gerhard von Möller, Theodor Buddeberg, Heinrich Becker, Otto Lorentz and Walther Delius to support exhibitions in the Kunsthaus. Today it stages five or six exhibitions each year covering painting, photography, graphics, installation, video art and architecture. Guided tours, lectures and other events help visitors understand current trends in the visual arts, and catalogues accompany each show.

The Waldhof’s historic rooms provide a striking setting for the changing displays. More than a thousand members support the Kunstverein’s work, and in 2014 it received the ADKV-ART COLOGNE Prize for art associations. Katharina Klang and Victoria Tarak have led the organisation since 2024.