Extra City Kunsthal

Extra City Kunsthal is a contemporary art institution in Antwerp that has occupied a former Dominican monastery complex on Provinciestraat since 2020. The venue pairs an ambitious exhibition programme with a striking building that blends sacred and industrial architecture, turning a visit here into an encounter with the city's history as much as with contemporary art.

What is Extra City Kunsthal?

It is a mid-sized art organisation firmly rooted in Antwerp's cultural ecosystem. Rather than competing with the city's other institutions, Extra City positions itself as a complement to them, offering a platform for projects that are challenging, socially relevant, and often explicitly political in tone. The programme is designed to give room to emerging artists just starting out, as well as to established names looking to experiment outside the usual gallery format.

Where does the building's story begin?

The building housing the kunsthal has a layered past. The monastery church on Provinciestraat was completed in 1925, designed by architect Frans Mertens. Unlike conventional religious architecture of its time, the structure has an irregular floor plan and austere, almost industrial facades — a deliberate choice reflecting the Dominican belief in aligning spiritual life closely with the surrounding urban environment. In 1957, an ornately decorated bourgeois house was added to the complex, further diversifying its architectural character.

The Dominican friars left the site in 2002, after which the complex went through a series of temporary uses over nearly two decades. The turning point came in 2020, when Extra City relocated into the former monastery church itself. The transformation of the space for exhibition purposes was entrusted to Rotor, a cooperative design practice known for working closely with existing structures and reclaimed materials rather than starting from scratch.

What else is inside the complex?

Beyond the exhibition halls, the former monastery grounds also house artists' studios, a bar, and a small cinema, alongside offices used by partner organisations. This mix means the site functions less like a conventional gallery and more like an active cultural hub, where artists, local residents, and visiting art lovers regularly cross paths.

Why is it worth visiting?

Extra City's programme tends to favour work that steps outside conventional gallery formats — art engaged with social, political, or urban themes rather than purely aesthetic concerns. That focus draws both regulars from Antwerp's contemporary art scene and travellers looking for something beyond the city's more traditional museum circuit. The building itself, with its visible monastic past and industrial edge, is reason enough to stop by, regardless of which exhibition happens to be on show.

Frequently asked questions

How is Extra City Kunsthal different from a traditional art museum? It has no permanent collection. Instead, it runs a rotating programme of contemporary art exhibitions, often tied to current social themes.

Where exactly is the kunsthal located? Inside a former Dominican complex on Provinciestraat in Antwerp, occupying the former monastery church built in 1925.

Since when has Extra City been at this location? The institution moved into its current home in 2020, following a redesign of the building led by the practice Rotor.

What else can visitors find on site besides exhibitions? The complex also includes artists' studios, a bar, and a small cinema, along with offices belonging to partner organisations.