15th Kunstdorf Unterjesingen — Motto „ins Offene“

Concept — A Village as an Art Space

Since 2007, the Kunstdorf Unterjesingen has transformed the Tübingen district of Unterjesingen into a temporary art landscape every two years. The concept: Contemporary art belongs not only in urban galleries and museums but also in rural spaces — barns, workshops, bakehouses, vacant rooms. This combination of rural scenery and contemporary art has earned the format the affectionately ironic nickname „documenta in the Village“.

Exhibition Venues

The works are spread across several historic rooms in the village — for the 15th edition in 2026, these include: Farrenstall (former bull pen of the municipality), Bürgerstüble (village pub), Keltermuseum (old wine press, now a museum), and the old town hall. Visitors walk through the village from one venue to the next, discovering Unterjesingen itself along the way.

Motto 2026: „ins Offene“

Each edition of the Kunstdorf has a motto. In 2026, it is „ins Offene“ — an invitation to artists to show works that open up, that are not hermetic, that seek a dialogue with the place and the audience. Twelve artists from Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Bavaria, and Switzerland have been selected — Media: Painting, drawing, video, sculpture, installation, photography.

Artists On-Site

A special feature of the Kunstdorf: The artists are on-site during the weekend. Anyone with questions can ask them directly. This makes the visit a conversation, not just passive viewing — a rarity in the contemporary art world.

Unterjesingen — Village near Tübingen

Unterjesingen, with around 2,800 inhabitants, is located on the western edge of the city of Tübingen, on the Schönbuch slope in the Tübingen district (state of Baden-Württemberg). Incorporated in 1971, the district retains a strong village identity — and uses it as a trademark for the Kunstdorf. The format has found role models in other places in Baden-Württemberg but remains the defining model.