In 1991, the city decided: a Kunsthalle should be founded in Osnabrück. The idea was: contemporary art should be exhibited there. Harald Szeemann was consulted on this. Harald Szeeman was a famous exhibition organizer and museum director from Switzerland. He co-developed the curatorial concept of the Kunsthalle Osnabrück. That means: he had an idea about which type of art should be exhibited at the Kunsthalle Osnabrück. And how. He advised for “international perspectives and site specific installations”. Thereby he meant: the museum should be in exchange with other museums in different countries. But it should also fit the city and its own history. The first exhibition was in 1993. Founding director André Lindhorst curated it. Until 2013, he exhibited solo shows of artists like Elvira Bach, Lothar Fischer, Günther Uecker, Markus Lüpertz or thematical group exhibitions in the exhibition space of 1.300 square meters.

From 2013 to 2019, Dr. Julia Draganović managed the Kunsthalle Osnabrück as the director. Her exhibitions were very site specific. That means: you could clearly see the links to the architecture of the building. During this time, the programme set a focus on performance art. [Performance art is a type of artistic presentation. It is a performance. On a stage. In a museum. Or outside in the city.]

From 2014 to 2020, the Kunsthalle Osnabrück was the headquarter of the IKT, the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art. During their annual conference, exhibition organizers of many different countries come together.

Since 2020, Anna Jehle and Juliane Schickedanz are the directors of the Kunsthalle Osnabrück.