Düsseldorf's Kunstpalast debuts 'Visual Arts Yoga' tours, merging meditation with gallery viewing

A new museum experience

At the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, a recent evening began not with the usual art-historical introduction but with instructions to close the eyes, breathe deeply, ground the feet, relax the shoulders, and exhale. These are the opening moments of "Visual Arts Yoga," a program that has been running at the museum for a short time. It combines classical yoga, body postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, with a tour of the permanent collection. Each session lasts about 90 minutes, and the emphasis is on the eyes and the mind rather than on physical exertion. On this particular evening, a group of 16 participants gathered to slow down in a cultural setting. The age range is typically broad, and with four men present, the museum noted a relatively high number of male attendees. There is no dress code; sportswear is not required, and visitors come as they are.

The concept and its creator

The program was developed by Simone Hoffmann, who has practiced yoga for roughly 15 years and now works as a yoga teacher. She created the concept in cooperation with Valeara, a Germany-wide provider of psychiatric, neurological, and psychotherapeutic care. Hoffmann is keen to challenge the popular perception of yoga as little more than Instagram-friendly mat poses like downward-facing dog, cobra, or warrior.

I enjoy clearing up this image of yoga.

She stresses that breathing and meditation are equal pillars of the millennia-old practice alongside physical postures. To communicate this, Hoffmann first designed the "Visual Arts Yoga" framework and then selected artworks from the museum's holdings that correspond to the themes of each session. The offering is integrated into the permanent exhibition and is designed as a long-term fixture, not a temporary event.

Reception and early demand

According to the Kunstpalast, the response has been positive. Many of the scheduled dates, which are conducted by different guides, are already fully booked. The museum indicated that if demand continues to grow, it will supply additional data on attendance and participant feedback. The "Visual Arts Yoga" initiative follows another unconventional tour format that the museum introduced last year: the "Grumpy Guide," in which a deliberately surly and arrogant guide led visitors through the collection. That concept was a success and encouraged the museum to keep experimenting with new ways of engaging the public. The Kunstpalast team is constantly looking for new ways to bring visitors closer to art, and "Visual Arts Yoga" is the latest result.

A pose in the gallery

One well-known yoga posture did find its way into the program: the tree pose, where the practitioner stands on one leg and places the sole of the other foot against the inner thigh. The exercise is intended to illustrate the connection between seeing and stability. By holding the pose while focusing on a work of art, participants experience how visual attention and physical balance interact. The museum sees such formats as part of a broader effort to open up the collection to new audiences and to combine cultural participation with personal well-being.