The Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt am Main, one of Europe's most important exhibition venues for modern art, is embarking on an unprecedented temporary relocation. The prestigious institution must vacate its postmodern building in Frankfurt's reconstructed old town for two years while undergoing essential renovations, moving to a historic printing facility with a complex and compelling history.
Sebastian Baden, who has directed the renowned Frankfurter Schirn Kunsthalle for three years, is enthusiastic about this transition period. The temporary venue is the old Dondorf printing building, which Baden describes as "a stroke of luck." He plans not only to continue presenting "high-caliber exhibitions" but also to "create a place of encounter, art, and creativity for a broad audience and all age groups" in this unique industrial setting.
The transformation of the former Dondorf printing facility in Frankfurt-Bockenheim has been remarkable. Green, pink, and blue steel beams now illuminate the old walls of the former printing house, where vibrant colors combine with 19th-century industrial romance in the gutted entrance area featuring a foyer and café. Two exhibition halls have been incorporated into the complex and designed to museum standards, while the exterior brick facade of the buildings and chimney have been preserved. A bridge spanning between building sections overlooks an inviting courtyard.
This 1890 building, which most recently housed the art education department of Frankfurt University, faced demolition just two years ago. The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics had planned to erect a new building on the site owned by the state of Hessen. However, a student initiative occupied the building and demanded its preservation as a non-commercial cultural center under the motto "Printing House for All." The occupation was motivated not only by preservation concerns but also by remembrance of the Jewish Dondorf family who originally founded the printing house and the facility's complex history of printing playing cards and securities before later producing Nazi propaganda materials.
Local neighborhood initiatives also advocated for the building's preservation, recognizing its importance to the industrial history of the former university district of Bockenheim. Although police ended the occupation twice, the Max Planck Institute eventually abandoned its construction plans. Simultaneously, Schirn Kunsthalle officials were searching for temporary quarters as sandstone panels were falling from the facade of their 1986 building in central Frankfurt, necessitating urgent energy-efficient renovation.
The Dondorf printing facility proves "predestined" for Schirn's use, according to Director Sebastian Baden, particularly given the location's artistic tradition in printing, graphics, and design. He views this as "an impulse for our own exhibitions" and looks forward to neighboring the initiatives that fought for the building's preservation and now occupy their own spaces within the Dondorf printing facility. Baden appreciates that "this charming industrial architecture can be preserved, maintaining a free space for cultural work and artistic narratives."
The Schirn Kunsthalle attracts approximately half a million visitors annually. Beyond blockbuster exhibitions featuring works by Lyonel Feininger, Niki de Saint Phalle, Marc Chagall, and Basquiat, the venue regularly presents contemporary newcomers. Implementing programming in entirely different spaces excites Baden and his team: "We love discovering new spaces and creating new perspectives." The first exhibitions will feature video installations by Philippine-Canadian artist Stephanie Comilang beginning September 25, and the world's first comprehensive showcase of Dada pioneer Suzanne Duchamp starting October 10.
The physical relocation process is already underway. Since the Schirn operates as a venue for rotating exhibitions without a permanent collection, no sensitive artworks require transportation. Workshops and offices have already moved into the printing building, leaving only the ceremonial "rite de passage," as Baden describes it. Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz has been commissioned to stage the transition with her dance company and approximately 100 amateur dancers, creating a parade from the original Schirn building to the Bockenheim printing facility. Hamburg's techno marching band MEUTE will accompany the procession, with thousands of spectators expected on the afternoon of September 7.
After two years, the renovation of the Schirn in Frankfurt's heart should be complete, allowing the art hall to return to its permanent location. Baden already anticipates missing the romantic industrial building in Bockenheim but remains convinced that the old Dondorf printing facility will be preserved beyond Schirn's temporary use. "We have created office spaces and perfect exhibition halls here, and I am confident that our preliminary work secures the long-term preservation of this building," he stated.
