altonale Kunstherbst

Hamburg's Open Art Hall in November

For decades, altonale has been the major district festival in Altona — with its main events in summer (STAMP, altonale weeks) and smaller program points throughout the year. The "Kunstherbst" is the festival's autumn offshoot: a two-day artist weekend in a changing industrial hall, where the Hamburg and North German art scene exhibits together. In 2025, it took place in a former parcel distribution center in Altona, covering around 1,200 square meters.

60 Artists, Many Media

The selection is broad: painting and drawing, graphics and printmaking, sculpture, installation, urban art, and design. Unlike classic gallery openings, visitors can talk directly with the artists, follow their work processes in live demonstrations, or observe them. Works are usually available for purchase — the festival is simultaneously an exhibition, a market, and a social format.

Special Projects and Outdoor Space

In 2025, the non-profit project "Light Houses" received its own stage. It supports homeless people in Hamburg through artistic participation projects. A large outdoor video screen at PLAY Studio showed student video mapping projections. An NDR weather special broadcast live from the exhibition hall — an unusual connection between TV and art event, giving the format media reach.

District of Altona

The Kunstherbst takes place in various industrial halls in the Altona district — the exact location changes every year and is announced on altonale.de. The organizer is altonale GmbH on Max-Brauer-Allee in Altona-Altstadt. The format complements altonale's main summer activities with a clear visual focus in late autumn.