The Kunsthalle art gallery re-opened in summer 2011 after two years of renovation and the addition of two new wings. This expansion has increased by almost a quarter the gallery's space for its collection and exhibitions. The prints and drawings collection, which includes more than 200,000 items, now has a modern counterpart and therefore double the space. Spacious studios and seminar rooms have provided additional space for the gallery's education programme, which caters for all ages.

Bremen's Kunstverein (art association) was founded in 1823 and still runs the Kunsthalle art gallery with its own funds. The collection offers an exceptional survey of European art and international modern art, spanning painting, sculpture, drawings, prints and media art from the Renaissance to the present day. A key focal point is the collection of French and German paintings from the 19th and 20th century, including important pieces by French Impressionists such as Monet, Manet and Cézanne, along with major paintings by Corinth, Liebermann, Beckmann and Modersohn-Becker. Media art pioneers such as Cage and Paik are represented by important installations.