The Kunsthalle Görlitz has successfully found a new home after an extensive search for exhibition space. The art gallery has relocated from its previous location on lower Jakobstraße to a prominent new venue at Wilhelmsplatz, where it will open its first exhibition on August 22.

For three summers, the gallery operated at Jakobstraße 2/3, hosting multiple exhibitions featuring contemporary art. After the final exhibition ended in June 2024, the operators announced their search for a new location, as the City of Görlitz had previously allowed only temporary use of the unsanitary building space.

The new Kunsthalle has now moved into the 360-square-meter space of the former Thunder video store in the building at Wilhelmsplatz 15, which features a distinctive red brick facade. The inaugural exhibition, titled "Glanz und Schweiß" (Shine and Sweat), will explore themes of pleasure, exhaustion, work, and consumption through diverse artistic approaches.

While the Neisse Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) previously demonstrated how vacant buildings could be utilized for exhibitions and artistic exchange on Jakobstraße, the new gallery will be operated jointly by two organizations. The NCCA will continue its involvement alongside the Stre!fen Association, which has organized the performance art festival of the same name in Görlitz's public spaces since 2022.

With its large storefront windows facing the green Wilhelmsplatz, the new Kunsthalle Görlitz aims to become a visible presence in the urban landscape. The two partner organizations describe their mission as creating a space for exchange and collaboration, particularly for artists from the tri-border region of Poland, Czech Republic, and Germany. They envision the gallery not merely as a venue for presenting culture, but as a place where it is collectively shaped, experienced, and reflected upon.

The "Glanz und Schweiß" exhibition will run for five weeks, concluding on September 28. During this period, from September 19-21, the stre!fen performance art festival 2025 will take place. While previous festival locations were typically situated between Berliner Straße and the Neiße River or extended to the Polish side of the city, the new Kunsthalle Görlitz and Wilhelmsplatz will serve as the starting point for performances. Six international and local artists will present contemporary positions in performance art under the motto "Are we there yet?"

The vernissage, performance, and opening of the new Kunsthalle is scheduled for August 22 at 5 PM at Wilhelmsplatz 15, marking a significant milestone in Görlitz's cultural landscape.