Since 1983, the Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund has been run by artists themselves as a studio and exhibition space for contemporary and experimental art.
The Künstler*innenhaus is a venue for works of all artistic genres - painting, sculpture and graphic art as well as photography, film, video, spatial installations and new media. This spectrum is reflected both in the members' fields of work and in the exhibitions, which are organised by the members as group exhibitions with external artists.
Alongside local museums, art associations and galleries with their traditional individual presentations or primarily economic interests, the Künstler*innenhaus enlivens Dortmund's art scene with a location that is unique in this form. The Künstler*innenhaus creates a free space for art, offers artists from Germany and abroad a good working environment and reduces visitors' fear of thresholds through direct mediation.
The Künstler*innenhaus thrives on the active collaboration of its members, who, by taking over a studio, commit themselves to voluntary work in, among other things, the conception and organisation of the exhibition programme. The output of events has increased continuously over the years, so that a professional organizational structure became necessary. Since 1998, there has been a management that supports the association in its work.
The Künstler*innenhaus is regularly used by international guests for working residencies and site-specific new productions. Since 2005, a two-month summer residency with a final presentation for an international artist selected by a jury of the house has been an integral part of the programme. Through this and due to the interdisciplinary orientation of the Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund, a constantly growing network of contacts to various cultural institutions in the region as well as to international institutions is established.
At the 2025 Annual General Meeting, the membership decided to rename the Künstlerhaus Dortmund to "Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund". The name change is now officially complete with registration in the association register.
The new name includes all people in the house and represents them equally, regardless of gender. It serves as a visible statement of inclusivity and solidarity with the LGBTQIA* community, and it honors the FLINTA* individuals who helped found our house.
Many people have already been using a gender-inclusive form of the house’s name for years; our public communications have also followed gender-sensitive practices for over a decade – now this is consistently reflected in the official name.
The asterisk, as a typographic intervention, disrupts habitual reading patterns and functions as a deliberately placed artistic element that invites reflection. With the name Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund, the brand and prominence of our house remain intact. It is clear that the house itself remains the same place – only the language has been updated to reflect current standards.
Our sincere thanks go to the Renaming Working Group: Janna Banning, Tina Dunkel, Zauri Matikashvili, Denise Ritter, Silke Schönfeld, and Hannes Woidich, who guided the process with their preparatory work.
At the Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund there are no solo exhibitions, but thematically conceived group exhibitions curated and organized by Künstler*innenhaus members for external artists. The exhibition planning for the coming year takes place in the summer of the previous year at the earliest.
