Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Tresor 31: Ruins of an alternative future
As part of Tresor 31: Techno, Berlin und die große Freiheit, the organisers have rebuilt the legendary former club from sand on a 1:1 scale.
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The Shape of Freedom: Post-war abstraction at Museum Barberini
A new exhibition in Potsdam presents 20th-century abstraction from both sides of the Atlantic.
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Boros Collection #4: Time capsule of contemporary art
Housed in Mitte’s most famous bunker, the Boros Collection will remain as is until 2026.
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Angels over Neukölln: Artist Maria Kossak celebrates Karl-Marx-Straße
Ahead of her shadowplay performance at 48h Neukölln, artist Maria Kossak visits the district’s main drag.
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Sublime anarchy: UNARTIG street & art festival Berlin 2022
Don’t miss UNARTIG street & art festival opening Friday, June 17 and running until Sunday, June 19. The Urban Nation museum features 21 murals by 17 international artists as part of the festival UNARTIG. We spoke to Catherine Lupis Thomas about what to expect.
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Nina Canell on crushing sea shells at Berlinische Galerie
The Swedish-born sculptor invites us to rethink our relationship with materials for her latest exhibition.
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Agnès Varda: Love, death and potatoes
Wedding’s Silent Green opens its space to the facetious multiverse of the French legend – the first exhibition of this scale since her death in 2019.
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Berlin Biennale 2022: Exploring colonial trauma
The 12th Berlin Biennale examines the unhealed wounds left by Western colonialism.
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Jim Avignon on disruptive art, 90s nostalgia and why he can’t quit Berlin
The five-time EXB cover artist on his tumultuous relationship with the city whose creative spirit he’s come to epitomise.
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Lies, Half-Truths & Propaganda: Egor Kraft’s anti-disinformation machines
Russian-born artist Egor Kraft is utilising the potential of blockchain to combat Putin’s propaganda machine.
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How to Dior: Christian Dior and His Successors
At the Museum of Decorative Arts, How to Dior shows how the luxury fashion brand has evolved over 70 years.
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ChertLüdde: Die Blüten von Berlin
ChertLüdde recall the legendary costume shop Deko Behrendt in their new show in Schöneberg.
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Kinderhook and Caracas: Omnibus
Looking back across 10 years, this rich collection shows what artist-run project spaces are capable of.
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Modern nature: Anne Schwalbe’s otherworldly photographs
In her dreamy photos, Anne Schwalbe captures the delicate beauty of the natural world.
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Nikita Kadan: How culture survives in wartime
From the Venice Biennale, we spoke with Ukrainian artist Nikita Kadan about his hybrid artworks and turning down Putin’s patronage.
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George Grosz: Berlin’s nihilistic chronicler gets a museum of his own
A converted petrol station on Bulöwstrasse is the unlikely new location for a museum to Berlin’s most celebrated 20th century artist.
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Heinrich Schliemann: The Man Who Found and Lost Troy
Heinrich Schliemann was called the world’s luckiest archaeologist – but does he deserve his reputation?
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At Dawn: Utopian futures at Julia Stoschek Collection
Head to the Julia Stoschek Collection for a hyper-contemporary look into our future and its virtual worlds.
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Out-there galleries: Four Brandenburg art spaces worth a visit
From castles to power stations, these countryside art hangouts are far from your typical galleries.
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A class of his own: The visual legacy of Michel Majerus
Before his death in a plane crash in 2002, Michel Majerus was one of the most thrilling contemporary painters.
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Miss Read 2022: Berlin’s Art Book Fair returns to HKW
With a spotlight on publishing from the African continent and diaspora, Berlin’s art book fair is back with debates and plenty of browsing.
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Dayanita Singh: “Photography was my ticket to freedom”
We spoke to Indian photographer Dayanita Singh following her career survey at the Gropius Bau.
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Bernar Venet at Kunsthalle: Big, brash… and bitter
Bernar Venet’s rusty metal sculptures in Kunsthalle Berlin form the backdrop to a bitter dispute
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Genius Immersive Experience: Leonardo da Vinci
Bombastic, naff, uplifting… the “Genius Immersive Experience” might not make much sense, but it’s fun.
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Garden of Quantum Delights: Ent-
British artist Libby Heaney brings the quantum revolution to Berlin with her new show, Ent-
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Paul Gauguin: The savage at the Alte Nationalgalerie
Paul Gauguin’s actions in French Polynesia stain his legacy. Is it possible to separate the art from the man?
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NFT Art Berlin: Digital art at Kraftwerk
Showing at Kraftwerk from April 6 to 23, NFT Art Berlin fuses art and technology with a great soundtrack
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Zerheilt: Healed to Pieces
Frédéric Brenner’s photos at the Jewish Museum create an intriguing chorus of Jewish life
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Sculpture under the sun: Berlin’s best art gardens
As the sun returns after a long winter, we guide you through four spots for viewing open-air art.
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Beirut and the Golden Sixties: Dancing on a volcano
A new exhibition at the Gropius Bau casts a critical eye on the so-called “golden age” of Lebanon’s capital city.
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Merrill Wagner: Steel, stone and alchemy
The 87-year-old US artist explores nontraditional surfaces at Konrad Fischer Galerie until March 30.
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Marie-Blanche Carlier: Stagnation is impossible
After moving from Paris, Marie-Blanche Carlier built Carlier | Gebauer, one of the city’s most successful art galleries.
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Frédéric Brenner on Zerheilt, good fortune and polyphonic Jewishness
For renowned photographer Frédéric Brenner, Berlin was meant to be just one stop on his journey
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HR Giger and Hans Bellmer: From dark psychedelia to male deviance
HR Giger was heavily influenced by the work of Hans Bellmer – a new exhibition puts them side by side
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Hannah Höch: Danger, Dada and diaries
Curator Ellen Maurer Zilioli on the Hannah Höch exhibition at the Bröhan Museum
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The uncertainty and illusion of Gerhard Richter Artist’s Books
Gerhard Richter Artist’s Books is the first major retrospective of Gerhard Richter’s monographs
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Taipei calling: The fairy-tale landscapes of Zhang Xu Zhan
One of the Deutsche Bank’s Artists of the Year, Zhang Xu Zhan’s delicate papier-mâché creations can be seen at the Palais Populaire
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Kenny Schachter: “The art world is a fucked-up place”
An early exponent of NFTs, outspoken multi-talent Kenny Schachter discusses his new exhibition and art world arrogance.
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Into the drift and sway: Queer history in the bear pit
An exhibition in the former bear pit at Köllnischer Park examines the rich, alternative history of the space
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The surreal sculptures of Thomas Schütte
An exhibition at Georg Kolbe Museum celebrates the oeuvre of one of Germany’s greatest living artists
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Abandon All Hope: Transmediale’s technological hellscape
The Transmediale festival casts an urgent, critical eye on technology.
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A bridge too far: Die Brücke and colonialism
A new exhibition explores the modernist art movement’s problematic relationship to Germany’s colonial past.
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Nancy Holt: Her time in the sun
Marginalised for much of her career, land artist Nancy Holt is finally getting the attention she deserves.
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Ferdinand Hodler and Modernist Berlin
Ferdinand Hodler was Switzerland’s most famous painter – and a significant figure in early modernism
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Vaginal Davis: “My childhood libraries were not exactly welcoming”
We talk to the queercore drag legend about LA, Berlin and the 15 million boys who read her blog.
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Falling Through Space and Time
Gregor Hildebrandt’s exhibition is at the Mies van der Rohe Haus in Lichtenberg
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The Solly Collection at the Gemäldegalerie
Edward Solly, a British merchant based in Berlin, collected some key treasures of art history
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Robert Irwin lights up the Kraftwerk
Light and Space: the monumental installation fits perfectly in the Kraftwerk’s colossal halls
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Berlin’s best (and worst) exhibitions of 2021
We look beyond the blockbusting Kusama retrospective to Berlin’s art highlights
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Neue Nationalgalerie: The flawed temple returns
The Neue Nationalgalerie finally reopened in 2021. In the seven years it took to renovate, a lot changed. Did the curators noticed?
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Howard Greenberg on Vivian Maier: “I’ve never seen anything like it”
Internationally renowned art dealer Howard Greenberg on Vivian Maier, on what makes a great street photographer and an iconic shot.
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Three hot exhibitions to catch before they close
Don’t miss out on seeing these hyped art shows while you can
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Impressionism in Russia: Dawn of the Avant Garde
Museum Barberini shows how Russian artists experimented with new ways of seeing
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Fluentum: From Nazi base to art space
A former Nazi military building with cinematic credentials has become a contemporary art space
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Gabriele Knapstein on saving the Rieckhallen
The Hamburger Bahnhof director on saving art spaces and her last exhibition as the Berlin institution’s boss.
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What happened to Hitler’s favourite artists?
They could have been tried for war crimes, but instead they enjoyed long careers as painters and sculptors.
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Julie Mehretu: “A potent space for the radical imagination”
As her solo exhibition at carlier | gebauer enters its final weeks, we catch up with acclaimed artist Julie Mehretu to discuss how her multi-layered canvases reflect societal violence and inequality.
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Art in the first person: Understudies at KW
When was the last time you challenged your perspective? A new group show at the KW aims to do just that.
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Art of destruction: Two must-see shows at KINDL
Two exhibitions at KINDL turn the spotlight on destruction, whether it’s the ravaged compound where Osama bin Laden was killed, or the cathartic chaos of new beginnings.
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ICC transformed: The Sun Machine is Coming Down
We spend a few hours at the long-dormant Internationales Congress Centrum, where a slew of big-name artists have taken over its dusty halls for a ten-day exhibition.
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Fashion to BDSM: Nine exhibitions to see this month
Berlin’s cultural calendar is back in full swing. We round up the must-see art shows this October.
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Rosa Barba: “Moving between the layers of time”
The video artist and star of the revamped Neue Nationalgalerie discusses Mies van der Rohe, filming in the desert and why analogue is best.
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Weimar Berlin’s unsung female photographer
The portraits of little-known photographer Gerty Simon shed a twinkling light on the stars of Weimar Berlin and 1930s London.
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Preis der Nationalgalerie 2021: Vote for the audience award now!
This year’s Preis der Nationalgalerie nominees present their works at Hamburger Bahnhof from September 16. Visitors can vote for their favourite artist at the gallery.
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Five things to see at Berlin Art Week 2021
The city-wide show brings together the finest in contemporary art for its big birthday bash from September 15-19. To help you celebrate, we bring you our top five tips.
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The must-see art exhibitions this September
We have the month’s art fix covered, with minimalist painting, a rare exhibition from a living legend and video art to make you squirm.
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Berlin Photo Week 2021: Test, learn, debate
From nighttime photo classes to cosy exhibitions, here’s what to expect at the third edition of this annual photo bonanza.
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From typewriters to Twitter: Archiving the history and future of AIDS
A new exhibition at Schwules Museum looks at how politicians, the healthcare system and wider society have failed the queer community
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Time for an art stroll? Visit Schlossgut Schwante Sculpture Park
One couple impulse-bought a dilapidated 18th-century castle in Brandenburg and converted it into an art paradise. We get a tour.
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Claudia Skoda: The rockstar of knitwear
Delve into the Berlin it-girl’s underground world of fashion, friendship and photography at this multimedia retrospective at the Kulturforum.
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Laura Poitras and the art of whistleblowing
The investigative filmmaker approached by Edward Snowden to leak the NSA files returns to Berlin with an exhibition exploring state-sanctioned violence.
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Celebrating clay at Wehrmühle Biesenthal
As this year’s ceramics-only exhibition draws to a close at the old mill in Brandenburg, we caught up with curator Tjioe Meyer to find out why clay is having a moment.
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Colonialism, genocide and resistance: My visit to Humboldt Forum
Our writer visited Berlin’s most controversial new building and expected to be both bored and enraged. Here’s what he found.
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Robert Wilson: Dancing In My Mind
We visit the theatre titan’s new work at Akademie der Künste, a touching tribute to his late friend and collaborator Suzushi Hanayagi.
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Berl-Berl at Halle am Berghain: Exploring Berlin’s forgotten swamps
Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s multimedia exhibition is a profound, meditative experience inside our city’s own techno concrete habitat.
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Sun & Sea: Apocalyptic holidays and the end of the world
Our art editor previews a beach holiday opera that holds up a mirror to our lives while painting a devastating portrait of human complacency and the climate crisis.
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Three exhibitions to catch this July
Summer is calling, but don’t miss your chance to catch world-class art at Schinkel Pavillon, Meyer Riegger and Times Art Center.
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Senegal calling: Anna Ehrenstein’s collages from the future
The German artist’s whimsical photo collages at C/O draw on the rich art scene of Dakar. Our art editor hears about her process.
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Joseph Beuys at 100: Starting From Language at Hamburger Bahnhof
This eye-opening new exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the German artist’s birth by focusing on his unique use of language.
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Redemption Now: Exploring Yael Bartana’s Berlin
Our art editor unpacks the Israeli artist’s provocative new video work, which turns Berlin into a surrealist hellscape haunted by soldiers and towering Nazi structures.
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Diversity United: Europe on display at Tempelhof
Things are getting crowded under the roof of Tempelhof’s Hangar II ahead of the Diversity United exhibition. We talk to curator Walter Smerling about what this ambitious show can achieve.
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Xinyi Cheng: “I’m interested in how men deal with their masculinity”
The Wuhan-born painter explores the sensual side of male bravado through her vibrant paintings. Catch the final days of her solo show at Hamburger Bahnhof.
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Fred Stein at Deutsches Historisches Museum: Photos from exile
You may not know his name, but this German Jewish lawyer’s portraits are world famous, having snapped Einstein, Arendt and more. We speak to the curator behind his new exhibition.
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Gallery guide: What to visit when exhibitions reopen
Museums and galleries can finally reopen this weekend. We round up the must-see shows every art-starved Berliner should know about.
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Gallery Weekend 2021: A cultural shot in the arm
Gallery Weekend might have moved mainly online, but culture-starved Berliners can look forward to its feast of shows extending into May and beyond.
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Three must-see exhibitions for April
We might be soon heading back into a full lockdown, so make sure to soak up the work of these great artists beforehand. Here’s what you need to know.
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The immersive world of Yayoi Kusama comes to Gropius Bau
A retrospective of the beloved Japanese artist’s trippy work opens this month. Our art editor outlines what to expect from one of the year’s most anticipated exhibitions.
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Exiled artist Sujatro Ghosh: “I didn’t know who to trust.”
This Calcutta-born photographer is never afraid to get political. But when his provocative photos attracted the attention of Hindu nationalists, he was forced to flee India for the safety of Berlin.
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Swing back to abstract at Palais Populaire
A new show from the vast Deutsche Bank collection shows abstract art is no longer a relic of the past. Here’s what to look out for.
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Art and museums are back: What you can see this week
Some of our favourite spaces have reopened their doors, with others to soon follow. But which exhibitions should you visit, and where? Our art editor surveys the landscape.
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Amelie von Wulffen: Picturesque scenes soaked in post-war guilt
This career survey of the Berlin-based artist might leave you with a queasy stomach.
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Post-plantation art: The chocolate sculptures taking on capitalism
A Congolese art group is diverting Western capital back to the plantation. Their medium? Chocolate sculptures soon to appear at Kreuzberg’s KOW gallery.
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Sarah Lucas: “People are still squeamish about the penis.”
The British provocateur and artist reflects on getting older, making art under lockdown and why her latest work contains an enormous phallus.
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2020 in art: When clubs became galleries
In a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, who stood out in the art world? Art Editor Anna Larkin highlights the year’s best exhibitions, galleries and collections.
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Humboldt Forum: Symbol of oppression or progressive arts centre?
Our art editor charts the complicated history of this new museum complex, which digitally opens one section to the public this week.
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Art under lockdown: The best exhibitions you can see in November
Bars, cinemas and museums are closed, but plenty of Berlin’s commercial galleries are still open. Our art editor selects the best of the bunch.
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Finnish art, made in Germany
Most galleries are closed, but this great, bite-sized taster of Tom of Finland’s work and biography is open until mid-December.
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Otobong Nkanga: There’s No Such Thing as Solid Ground
A polyglot in artistic media, and former Gropius-Bau artist in-residence, masterfully delves into complex systems and histories with through range of media.
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31: Women
This exhibition at Daimler Contemporary collects the work of 31 women artists. Inspired by two legendary art shows from the 1940s, there’s something from almost every media, era, artistic movement and corner of the world on display.
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From bomb craters to BDSM: Berlin in pictures
The century-old Reinbeckhallen factories host an exhibition collecting more than 200 photos by artists who captured the many sides of Berlin. Here’s why you should head out to the far-flung Oberschöneweide.
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Boros at Berghain: “It’s a celebration of Berlin.”
With Covid restrictions in place, Berlin’s foremost techno temple has been turned into an exhibition space. Collectors couple Christian and Karen Boros and curator Juliet Kothe tell us how Studio Berlin, their collaboration with Berghain, came about.
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What not to miss at the European Month of Photography
From the political to the experimental, our arts editor rounds up the must-see exhibitions among the 100 shows planned throughout October.
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New Kindl director: “I’d like to have more exchange.”
Kathrin Becker, new Artistic Director at Kindl, gives us a sneak preview of the institution’s September exhibitions.
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Omonblanks: Reclaiming the narrative
From managing bands and hosting festivals to creating art, Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin has spent his life as a collaborator. He tells us about his craft.
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Berlin Art Week: Fairs, exhibitions and private openings
If you’ve been hungry for art, get ready for a feast of as much modern and contemporary as you can take: Starting this Wednesday (Sep 9), Berlin Art Week is back with shows at museums and private collections, Positions Art Fair and more.
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Berlin Biennale: “The neighbours asked if it was even art.”
The 11th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art launches has launched and will be one of the year’s most exciting events. We caught up with co-curator Lisette Lagnado about her journey from South America to Wedding.
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“I knew that if I were to survive this, I would become an artist.”
When fate struck, Phillipp Fürhofer turned adversity into new creative potential. We spoke to the Berlin-based artist ahead of his August 11 talk at Palais Populaire to hear about his book and how a brush with death changed his outlook on life.
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Milorad Krstić: Animated pictures
“When I finish the paintings I can almost hear them, ‘Come on, Milorad, let’s make a movie!'” Fresh from the release of his award-winning animation, the Budapest-based multi-talent is in Berlin with a unique exhibition of his paintings.
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Supporting charity through art
INTERVIEW! Ahead of his new exhibition, we hear about photographer Dietmar Eckell’s quest to raise money for girls’ education by selling portraits taken in India.
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The genius of Hannah Arendt
INTERVIEW A new exhibition at Deutsches Historisches Museum examines the work of one of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers. We speak to curator Dr. Monika Boll about Arendt’s lasting influence.
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Seven great exhibitions you can finally visit
TIPS! Berlin’s art galleries are emerging from hibernation. From cutting-edge video art to classic photography, our arts editor highlights the best reopened exhibitions on offer.
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Photographer Akinbode Akinbiyi on chronicling Berlin street life
INTERVIEW! With his photo exhibition “Six Songs, Swirling Gracefully in the Taut Air” on now through May 17 at Gropius Bau, Akinbode Akinbiyi’s work chronicles city life including Wedding’s African Quarter. He talks his Berlin inspiration.
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Artist Bettina Pousttchi on making a contemporary statement
INTERVIEW! With her new exhibition “In Recent Years” on now at the Berlinische Galerie through Apr 6, we met German-Iranian artist Bettina Pousttchi to talk her latest works, how she’s inspired by the Hauptstadt and mixing cultural influences.
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Women at the forefront: Nationalgalerie’s Fighting for Visibility
REVIEW! Don’t miss Alte Nationalgalerie’s “Fighting for Visibility: Women Artists in the Nationalgalerie before 1919” through Mar 8, the exhibition highlights some 60 works by 33 female artists produced in the 140 years leading up to 1919.
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Laid bare: C/O Berlin’s Love, Ren Hang
REVIEW! Chinese photographer Ren Hang’s bright and crisp pictures, almost all featuring naked bodies, seek to dispel the impression Chinese people are “robots without cocks or pussies”. Through Feb 29.
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Four stars! Haus am Waldsee’s The Truth Resides in the Folds
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see “The Truth Resides in the Folds” at Haus am Waldsee through Feb 23. Photographer Johanna Diehl fixes her lens on familiar places and innocuous objects of her West German childhood, with unsettling results.
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Critic’s must-see exhibitions this month
Don’t miss one of our art critic’s top picks for February, “Being on concrete” through Feb 22 at Eigen + Art Lab. Other highlights include the just-opened “Winter North Summer South” at Times Art Centre, Sprüth Magers’ “Re’Search Wait’S”, and more!
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GDR and beyond: Norbert Bisky’s Rant and Pompa
REVIEW! Painter Norbert Bisky’s work inspired by his youth in the GDR and reunified Germany is a transporting experience. Catch “Pompa” at Matthäuskirche through Feb 16 and “Rant” at Villa Schöningen through Mar 15.
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Modernist ceramics: Museum der Dinge’s Decoration as Trespass
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see “Decoration as Trespass” at Kreuzberg’s Museum der Dinge through Feb 10. Linked to the birthday of the German Association of Craftsmen, the exhibit displays Cubist and Constructivist-inspired decorated ceramics.
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Net effect: Transmediale’s The Eternal Network
REVIEW! On now through Mar 1 at HKW, Transmediale 2020 End to End exhibition “The Eternal Network” questions the power and limitations of online networks, and explores their (forgotten) transformational properties.
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Must-see! Dittrich & Schlechtriem’s Something New Under the Little Prince’s Body
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see “Something New Under the Little Prince’s Body” through Feb 1 at Dittrich & Schlechtriem. The deeply layered show probes the history of the 1960s gay movement in France as seen from a contemporary Arab perspective.
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Art critic’s year in review: The highs and lows of 2019
It’s your last chance to see one of our art critic’s highlights of 2019, “Original Bauhaus” at the Berlinische Galerie is on through Jan 27. See what other shows made her best (and worst) picks of 2019.
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Powerful and elegant: Galerie Tanja Wagner’s Under the Cover of Darkness
It’s your last chance to see Canadian and French artist and anthropologist Kapwani Kiwanga’s “Under the Cover of Darkness” at Galerie Tanja Wagner through Jan 25, a mix of abstraction and collage that sheds light on persisting patterns of oppression.
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Truly visceral! Museum Barberini’s Van Gogh: Still Lifes
REVIEW! On now through Feb 2 at Potsdam’s Museum Barberini, “Van Gogh: Still Lifes” features 27 of the Dutch artist’s works in a visceral exhibition that provides an opportunity to see his signature thick paint swirls and singing colours in person.
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Don’t miss our art critic’s top picks for January!
It’s your last chance to see GDR photographer retrospective “Helga Paris, Fotografin” at Akademie der Künste through Jan 12. Plus three more must-see provocative GDR photography exhibitions on now!
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Must see! Diskurs’ Show Me Your Selfie exhibition
REVIEW! On now through Jan 11 at Mitte’s Diskurs Berlin, the thought-provoking seven-artist exhibition “Show Me Your Selfie” invites reflections on the collected absurdities we present to the world under the title of Self.
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Decolonisation in focus at HKW’s exhibition double bill
Our critic takes a look at HKW’s two shows tackling the colonial-era and 20th century white gaze, “Spectral White” or “Love and Ethnology”, both through Jan 6 and explores how the problem is still present in today’s big state museums.
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A Ramberg retrospective: KW’s The Making of Husbands exhibition
REVIEW! KW’s small but brilliant show “The Making of Husbands” on now through Jan 5 illustrates the lasting relevance of Chicago Imagist Christina Ramberg, whose career-long focus has been on the female body.
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Elegant and intriguing: Soy Capitán’s Rochade exhibition
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see the brilliant “Rochade” at Kreuzberg’s Soy Capitán through Dec 21. Kristin Loschert and Lisa Herfeldt’s show combines sculpture and photography to present intriguing independent dialogues. A must-see!
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Must-see: Kabakovs exhibition double bill
REVIEW! Don’t miss Ilya and Emilia Kabakov exhibitions at the Tchoban Foundation and Mies van der Rohe Haus this month! Known for their high concept, large-scale installations, these exhibits show the process behind some of their most famous works.
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Frantic: Sprüth Magers’ Re’Search Wait’S exhibition
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see Ryan Trecartin’s “Re’Search Wait’S” through Feb 29 at Mitte’s Sprüth Magers. Tragicomic video art for an Orwellian age!
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Nightlife in focus: C/O Berlin’s No Photos on the Dance Floor!
REVIEW! It’s your last chance to see C/O Berlin’s “No Photos on the Dance Floor! Berlin 1989 – Today”. Through Nov 30 the exhibition shows works by 25 photographers capturing the many facets of Berlin nightlife.
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Top three exhibits capturing the rebellious spirit of 1989
With 1988 art hall Galerie Loock opening an exhibition on East German photographer Christian Borchert on Nov 23, our critic explores this month’s top exhibitions at galleries that grew out of the post-Wende buzz.
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Documenting Jerusalem: Jewish Museum’s This Place
REVIEW! On now through Jan 5, the Jewish Museum’s “This Place” was initiated by French photographer Frederic Brenner and features the work of 12 photographers depicting Jerusalem and the West Bank. A slick and thought-provoking exhibit.
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Provocative Wall art: Gropius Bau’s Walking Through Walls
REVIEW! On now through Jan 19, Gropius Bau’s magnificent exhibition marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall includes standout works by 28 international artists and provocatively tackles the effects of walls, real and metaphorical.
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From hell to outer space: Micro Era
On now through Jan 26 at Kulturforum, Micro Era charts the birth and evolution of video art in China. From Zhang Peili’s pioneering works to contemporary highlights such as frenetic anime aesthetics and the new art medium of playable videogames.
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A jaunty angle on Bauhaus
Open now through Jan 27 at the Berlinische Galerie, “Original Bauhaus”, the Bauhaus Archiv’s official centenary exhibition shows why the art and design movement is still relevant today and creatively tells the Bauhaus story through 1000 objects.
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Toilet art? Four ceramics exhibitions we’re potty about
Last chance to see our critic’s choice ceramics double bill Figures de Décoration and Transfiguration at Art Mûr through Oct 19, plus more of our pottery exhibition top picks open now.
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Journey into the wild
From the scientific to the surreal, the “Garden of Earthly Delights” has contemporary works which hail from all over the world examining humanity’s urge to garden and quest to either control or enjoy nature’s power. Through Dec 1.
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Art in a brewery? And more new indie art institutions
With the opening of Neither Black/Red/Yellow Nor Woman on Sep 28 at The Times Art Centre Berlin, we pick out our favourite exhibitions on now at Berlin’s new indie art institutions – from experimental art to sustainable energy to beer gardens!
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A nod to neoclassicism
Last chance to see The Blue Room, through Sep 21 at DECAD. Berlin-based Hungarian artist duo Tehnica Schweiz present an installation of film and ceramics that elegantly juggles neoclassicism with themes of replication and reproduction.
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A Trekkie nostalgia trip
Last chance to see Space is the Place, through Sep 15 at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, a 23-artist exhibit drawing heavily on sci-fi themes with works ranging from big minimalist monochrome statements to those exploring a more hopeful side of the genre.
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A history primer for Weimar fans
Last chance to see the Deutsches Historisches Museum’s Weimar exhibit, a multi-media walk through of the short-lived republic’s political struggles, cultural leaps and progressive aspects of Weimar life. Through Sep 22.
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5 tips for Berlin Art Week
Kicking off Sep 11 through Sep 15, here’s our top five picks from the annual showcase of international contemporary art worth queuing for.
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Anne Frank on… capitalism?! The work of Simon Fujiwara
INTERVIEW! Simon Fujiwara on examining the curiosities of capitalism in his upcoming show at Hamburger Bahnhof. You can catch the show – alongside the work of other three finalists for the Preis der Nationalgalerie – starting Aug 16.
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Art to remember
As Berliners still await the great white “Unity Seesaw”, it’s time to rediscover public artworks that celebrate German reunification.
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Silence turned gold
The Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall bridges the summer break with a surprisingly silent visual experience: installation “The Gold Projections”.
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Circus Empire
For her second show at König Galerie, American artist Kathryn Andrews has created an installation mainly consisting of a seven-metre tall circus big top tent. Catch her exhibition before it’s over on Aug 4.
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Scandal! Myth! Modernism! The Group of XI in Berlin
In 1892, a group of rebel German painters, disillusioned by Berlin’s juried and failing exhibition circuit, decided to mount their own shows. They called themselves the Group of XI. Check out their work at the Bröhan Museum through Sep 15.
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Summer of Love: Art, fashion, rock and roll
In the summer of 1967, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, a young generation was making itself heard as around 100,000 of them flocked to San Francisco in a climax of the hippie movement. Catch it at PalaisPopulaire through Oct 28.
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A hundred years of feminist art
The small Schinkel Pavillon delivers on a big promise. Catch “Straying from the Line” before it ends on Jul 28.
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Ryan Gander: Some Other Life
British conceptual artist Ryan Gander’s second show with Esther Schipper presents sculptures, installation and video, all in greyscale. Through Jun 15.
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The Black Image Corporation
American multimedia artist Theaster Gates has mined four million plus images in the Johnson Publishing Company’s archives to present 10 large format photographic prints, over 100 other photos and magazines, alongside his own video. Through July 28.
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Sol Calero: Archivos Olvidados
In tribute to her late grandmother Luisa Hernandez, 2017 Preis der Nationalgalerie finalist Sol Calero has created a full dive into Tropicalia tinged domestic interiors in this three-room installation. Through Jun 15
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Emil Nolde (with sunflowers)
Hamburger Bahnhof reassesses the pro-Hitler Expressionist. Through Sep 15.
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June in art: The Weimar women’s moment
Berlin curators are finally rediscovering interwar female artists.
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Kreuzberg goes east: EEP Berlin
New gallery EEP Berlin in Kreuzberg is a platform for contemporary Eastern European photography, deconstructing images of “the East” and offering new perspectives on the oft sterotyped part of Europe.
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“It’s not about the architecture”: Anikó Robitz and Károly Minyó Szert
INTERVIEW! Taking Bauhaus as a starting point, photographer Robitz and visual artist Szert have come together to present a selection of their work at the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin’s galleries in Light | Form | Photogram – Bauhaus Reductions.
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All-ages curation: KW Institute curator Anna Gritz
KW Institute for Contemporary Art curator Gritz on finding fresh voices from older generations, their upcoming Schering Art Award show and why London feels much smaller than Berlin.
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Non-native talents
Gropius Bau’s group show And Berlin Will Always Need You lives up to its promises.
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Lotte Laserstein: Face to Face
Through Aug 12.
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Eileen Gray: E.1027 Master Bedroom
Through Jun 10.
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Global National: Art on Right-Wing Populism
Through May 26.
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Art explainers
Want to learn about contemporary art without all the reading? Three guided tours serve you old favourites and new finds on a silver platter.
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Ritualistic sculptures: Elizabeth Jaeger
INTERVIEW! New York sculptor Elizabeth Jaeger on the art of making glass sculptures that look like rotting fish and her fascination with mourning rituals. Catch her exhibition “Brine” at Klemm’s Gallery through Jun 8.
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Going underground
This month, take on a different level of Berlin art including subterranean murals, U-Bahn art and Wannsee’s new underpass mosaic.
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Football, art and revolution: Ammar al-Beik
INTERVIEW! Syrian multi-media artist Ammar al-Beik gets his first German solo exhibition at Haus am Waldsee (through May 5). We spoke to him about revolution, exile and the thrill of meeting Diego Maradona at a dinner party.
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Head of the Bau: Stephanie Rosenthal
Stephanie Rosenthal on her first year as director at the Gropius Bau, her bid to make it more accessible and what to expect next. The next exhibition under her direction – “And Berlin Will Always Need You” – opens Mar 22.
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Saul Leiter. David Lynch. Helmut Newton: Nudes
The show starts with 80 monochromatic large format (or even larger than life) works by Helmut Newton, but David Lynch and even more so Saul Leiter are the real reasons to visit this collection of nudes. Through May 19.
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Alfred Ehrhardt: Painting, Drawing, Prints
This exhibition of paintings, drawings and prints is pulled from Ehrhardt’s artistic output during a winter semester spent in Dessau 1928-29 with Bauhaus masters Josef Albers and Oskar Schlemmer. Through Apr 18.
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Bauhaus kicks off!
This year is all about celebrating the 100th anniversary of the German art and design movement. Even though Berlin’s two most prominent Bauhaus buildings are inopportunely closed for renovation this year, two highlight exhibitions are finally open.
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Privates on parade
Berlin is home to a range of impressive private art collections. Here are some of those open to the public
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Between the Films: A Photo History of the Berlinale
There’s nothing quite as glamourous as an A-list film festival in your own back yard. Unfortunately, this exhibition – charting Berlinale through press photographs – doesn’t do much to make you feel starstruck.
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Impossible Love – Vintage Photographs
Nobuyoshi Araki gets up close and personal at C/O Berlin.
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Cheeky china
Make sure to check out the 30 newest additions at the artist’s first-ever exhibition at MINI on February 16. We promise, you won’t be able to hold back a chuckle.
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A look back at British “thinginess”
INTERVIEW! As PalaisPopulaire opens Objects of Wonder (from Feb 1) showing sculpture from across the Channel, curators Elena Crippa and Daniel Slater talk about the importance of objects.
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Art this month: Emotions and ecology
This year’s Transmediale and two topical art shows will change your perspective on digital society.
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The Grinders Cease
British artist Mat Collishaw has his first Berlin exhibition: a multi-media meditation on the transience of life. Through Feb 2.
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2019: Bauhaus and beyond
From the big Bauhaus anniversary to local newcomers, this year promises plenty of exciting art exhibitions to look forward to.
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Freedom. The Art of the Novembergruppe 1918 – 1935
The Berlinische Galerie pays tribute to the Novembergruppe with a comprehensive retrospective to the Weimar-era association of artists. Through Mar 11.
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London 1938: Defending “Degenerate” German Art
With London 1938 the Liebermann-Villa marks the 80th anniversary of the London response to Nazi Germany’s infamous Degenerate Art exhibition is 1937. On display: Kandinsky, Nolde, Modersohn-Becker among others.
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Restless Times. Archaeology in Germany
Under the themes of mobility, exchange, conflict and innovation, and spanning 200,000 years from the Palaeolithic to the 20th century, over 1000 archaeological finds from across Germany aim to tell the story of cultural interactions in Europe.
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A late discovery
Finally, Berlin sees its first solo exhibition of iconic Romanian artist Geta Brătescu. It’s on through Jan 25 at n.b.k.
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Fast and forward film art
This city is a serious hub for video art – and December is spoiling fans of the medium with a whole festival and two not-to-be-missed solo exhibitions. The Videoart at Midnight Festival is on Dec 12-16 at various venues.
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Routinised Absurdity
Human figures behind drying laundry photographic close-ups of textile and the skin of commuters – this show at KINDL Zentrum presents 10 international contemporary photographers and their take on the absurdity of everyday processes.
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The Moment is Eternity
The Olbricht collection is presenting what easily qualifies as a “best of” from its expansive inventory of photography, interspersed with sculptures and paintings by art history’s big names (Jan Brueghel among others).
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The World on Paper
The inaugural show of Deutsche Bank’s brand new art space, PalaisPopulaire, spreads over three floors, with 300 works from post-war Modernism to the era of digital technologies, and even to the graphic novel.
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Fair(y) tales
What three Berlin gallerists make of this year’s huge Art Week success. Eicker explains… but hurry, gallery Sweetwater is already closing the doors on “Closer” on Sat, Nov 17.
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The full avant-garde: The November Group exhibition
Curator Janina Nentwig on showcasing the fearlessly radical art of the November Group 100 years down the road.
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Gary Hume
A single wheel is trapped in a block of concrete, stuck in time and passage. It is part of Gary Hume’s series Wonky Wheels, which includes 14 imperfectly shaped, colourful free-standing wheels…
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From Rembrandt’s Workshop: Drawings from the Rembrandt School
Rembrandt or not Rembrandt? The approximately 100 drawings on show at the Kupferstichkabinett are a combination of some of the master’s best work mixed with that of his apprentices, assistants and amateurs possessing varying degrees of skill.
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Yamamoto Masao: Microcosm Macrocosm
Participating in the European Month of Photography Berlin, Mitte’s Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation blends the lens-work of its 20th century German namesake with that of Japanese artist Yamamoto Masao.
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Gurlitt: Status Report
Cornelius Gurlitt famously hid a vast collection of art works which he had inherited from his father, an art dealer servicing the Nazi regime. The current exhibition at Gropius-Bau features 200 of the paintings found in his Munich apartment.
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Degenerate celebrated: London 1938
With London 1938 the Liebermann-Villa is marking the 80th anniversary of the London response to Nazi Germany’s infamous Degenerate Art exhibition in 1937. Curator Lucy Wasensteiner speaks about its relevance today.
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The European Month of Photography in a snapshot
What to expect of the upcoming photostream, with institutions across the city taking different angles on the medium.
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The whole history of Berlin: Prinzessinnenpalais
Deutsche Bank is reopening Prinzessinnenpalais on Unter den Linden as an exhibition space on Sep 27. Inaugural director Svenja von Reichenbach explains the new PalaisPopulaire’s “anti-interior design”.
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United art force: Berlin Art Week 2018
Berlin may not be the most commercial art hub, but for the last week of September Berlin Art Week (Sep 26-30) unites the scene to showcase its impressive resources. Here’s our rundown.
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Michel François: Une Hétérotopie
Belgian artist François hangs this exhibition on French philosopher Foucault’s notion of heterotopia: enclosed environments such as ships and prisons, sometimes mirroring society but often at odds with the world outside. It’s on through Sep 15.
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Wim Wenders: Instant Stories
Wim Wenders may be better known for films such as Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas, but he has built up an extensive Polaroid collection over the years, including snaps of Dennis Hopper, Peter Handke and Annie Leibovitz.
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Grapus: A French Collective of Graphic Designers
Creating the visual look of the far-left from 1968 to the early 90s, Grapus have been at the cutting edge of French poster-design. This eight-room exhibition provides a comprehensive schooling of their revolutionary work.
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Max Liebermann and Paul Klee: Garden Pictures
Built in 1909, German impressionist Liebermann’s villa on Wannsee is where he spent his summers. Opened as a private museum, currently on show are oils and pastels by Liebermann of his garden at Wannsee presented alongside Paul Klee’s.
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Killing the Fear: Loredana Nemes
Romanian-born Loredana Nemes gets solo retrospective treatment at the Berlinische Galerie. It’s on through Oct 15.
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Berlin Biennale’s secret theme
The works to look out for this year masterfully tackle today’s postcolonial legacies. Catch it before it’s over Sep 9.
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The lesbian longview
Berlin’s one and only gay museum pays a small but serious tribute to a century of female queer art. We check out the exhibition to see what sets “lesbian visions” apart from the dominant male artistic gaze. On through Aug 20.
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Loris Gréaud: Ladi Rogeurs: Sir Loudrage – A Still Life
The title of this first Berlin solo show for Gréaud is two anagrams of his own name, an opening telling of a certain self-regard – a first impression later sustained by a string of pseudo-highbrow references. See it before it closes Jul 21.
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Paint it back: A Kreuzberg neighbourhood tale
INTERVIEW! Artist Wolfgang Lugmair on spicing up Manteuffelstraße with a bold new mural. It’s on for the duration of his exhibition “TagNachtLuftWind” at KWADRAT, through Sep 1.
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Girls on film
From the 1970s to the 21st century: this summer we get to revisit three women’s boundary-pushing work in film.
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Gerhard Richter: Abstraction
The new exhibition at Potsdam’s Museum Barberini displays more than 90 abstract paintings, collage, prints and sculptures by the auction record-setting German artist. Through Oct 21.
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Hello World, Revising a Collection
Taking over the entirety of the Hamburger Bahnhof space, this vast exhibition consists of over 150 works taken from the Nationalgalerie’s inventory. Through Aug 26.
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Trashy mini golf
Is the plot at the northern end of Tempelhof supposed to be an art exhibition or some sort of urban recycling dump? Spoiler: nuture Mini ART Golf is a bit of both. And you get to play mini golf around its 18 sculptures made from “reused materials”.
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James Turrell: Ganzfeld “Aural”
Known in Berlin for his neon-light installation in the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery, and outside the art world for inspiring Drake’s 2015 Hotline Bling video, American light artist James Turrell presents a commissioned installation at the Jewish Museum.
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Louise Bourgeois: The Empty House
Located in the 1960s-built Schinkel Pavilion, this selection of later “sack form” works by the French-American grand dame of 20th-century art Louise Bourgeois includes pieces produced from 2003 until her death at 98 in 2010.
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Rebecca Ackroyd: The Mulch
Behind Peres Project’s red-tinted windows a community of oversized humanoid plaster-cast figures by British artist Ackroyd are sprawled, reclining and lounging across the floor.
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Between the storms
Three Berlin exhibitions chronicle the peril and prosperity that befell the city during the interwar era.
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Exiting the gift shop
An ongoing exhibition pits Chagall postcards and tea towels against some of the modernist titan’s originals.
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Irving Penn. Centennial
On the 100th anniversary of Penn’s birth, this exhibition of 240 works at C/O is drawn from a major retrospective at New York’s Metropolitan Museum.
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Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs: Defying Gravity
Spread over two floors of the converted brewery that is the KINDL are over 30 works by Swiss artist pair Onorato and Krebs.
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Richard Frater: Common Birds
New Zealander and Berlin-based artist Frater presents a 40-minute film made up of 330 photographic stills, taken by himself, Georgina Steytler and Scott Rogers. Catch it at Oracle before May 12.
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Copycats: Christian Jankowski
INTERVIEW. Berlin-based German multi-media artist Christian Jankowski on why he’s elevating art from China’s biggest copy village to the auction house at Grisebach. Catch it through May 12.
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The big gallery hop
Gallery Weekend returns Apr 27-29, with 46 galleries hosting some of the year’s biggest openings. Here are our top seven picks.
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Tanks for the memories: Three photo exhibitions
Photographers find beauty in industrial architecture and landscapes across three Berlin exhibitions.
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A certain softness: Nilbar Güreş
Turkish artist Nilbar Güreş on using humour and fabric to craft her own political language. Her two exhibitions at Galerie Tanja Wagner and the Schwules Museum end Apr 13 and 15 respectively.
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Karla Black
Black’s second solo exhibition at Capitain Petzel is on through Apr 14.
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Fast food for philosophisers
At the Museum for Communication, Hermann Vaske’s Why Are You Creative? offers an existential quick fix for the arty set.
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All style, no substance
The creations of Gianni Versace are on show in Berlin at a flashy new exhibition.
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Ellen Cantor: My Perversion is the Belief in True Love
Labelled a feminist artist at a time when “feminism” was still a dirty word, Ellen Cantor is known for autobiographical narratives expressed through fictional female protagonists. Catch her exhibition through Mar 24.
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Eduardo Paolozzi: Lots of Pictures – Lots of Fun
The founding father of British Pop Art spent a year living and working in Berlin in the mid-1970s, giving the Berlinische Galerie an excuse for this colourful spotlight. It’s on through May 28.
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Arthur Jafa: A Series of Utterly Improbable, Yet Extraordinary Renditions
A filmmaker who has worked with Spike Lee, John Akomfrah and Solange Knowles, Arthur Jafa moved into art fairly recently. Catch his new work at the Julia Stoschek Collection through Nov 25.
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Feeling the squeeze
This month, check out the CTM exhibition (Uncanny Valleys of a Possible Future) minus the queues for the hug machine. Get hugged through Apr 2 at Kunsthaus Bethanien.
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It’s not a whip: Monica Bonvicini
INTERVIEW! Right after the final swing of her mechanised flogger at the Berlinische Galerie, Monica Bonvicini’s provocative work comes to König Galerie’s chapel starting Mar 3.
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Making museums cool
This month sees an infusion of fresh blood into Berlin’s dusty old institutions, starting with Rimini Protokoll’s Top Secret International (Staat 1) on Mar 1.
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Painting like it’s 1999
Three painting exhibitions this month incorporate tech with a 1990s vibe, achieving vastly different results. Corinne Wasmuht’s at König Galerie ends February 25, so read on and then don’t miss!
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Spiritual stargazing
Ancient gadgetry is the best part of Martin-Gropius-Bau’s library-like new exhibition, “Jews, Christians and Muslims”, on through Mar 4.
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Bharti Kher: Dark Matter
This month, curator Patricia Kamp presents Indian artist Bharti Kher’s first solo exhibition in Germany at Museum Frieder Burda, on through Feb 17.
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Comma chamaeleon: Prem Krishnamurthy
Starting this Feb 3 (through Dec 16!), American artist Krishnamurthy opens up the creative process to the public in Schöneberg.
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Welcome to the dollhouse
INTERVIEW! Ahmet Öğüt on the seriousness of his miniature buildings in his exhibition Hotel Résistance, on at KOW through Jan 28.
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Jaroslaw Kozlowski: Words and Colors
For this exhibition at Berlin’s premier space for Polish art, the 72-year-old conceptual artist presents a thoughtful selection of works from the last five decades. It’s on through Feb 10.
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Evidentiary Realism
Like the offspring of Edward Snowden and Banksy, Italian artist Paolo Cirio’s own “performative hacks” mine internet data to create critical works at the intersection of privacy, copyright, democracy and finance. This hack is on through Feb 17.
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The Brecht-Benjamin bromance
This month is your last chance to see Thinking in Extremes, the extensive exhibition at AdK that catalogues the relationship between philosopher Walter Benjamin and playwright Bertolt Brecht.
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A day in Dahlem
The southwestern suburb still has a lot to offer a museum-going day tripper – but for how long? Your last chance to check out the Ethnological Museum down there before it’s all in Mitte is Jan 14.
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Eliza Douglas: Old Tissues Filled with Tears
The American model, actress and (first and foremost) artists’s exhibition at Schinkel Klause has wide ranging appeal with its references of everything from Cookie Monster to expressionist strokes. Through Jan 21.
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Secret samurai stash
Looking for Berlin’s most underground museum? Head to the Samurai Art Museum in Zehlendorf to see a collection that will only increase your Japanese yearnings.
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Making people cry: Ed Atkins
British artist Ed Atkins on combining video, opera costumes and tears in “Old Food”, his largest exhibition to date, on through Jan 7 at Martin-Gropius-Bau.
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Isa Genzken: Issie Energie
The Berlin-based conceptual artist brings her latest series of works to Kreuzberg, but its jumbled structure feels thrown together, and fails to do its venue justice.
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Tomma Abts
The Kiel-born visual artist and Turner Prize winner shows off her latest abstract yet ingenious oil paintings in this head-turning solo exhibition.
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Cyrill Lachauer: What Do You Want Here
The IBB Prize winner brings the fruits of his two year journey through South America to Kreuzberg, sharing his desolate landscapes and profound portraits through film, photography and text.
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Fahrelnissa’s first chicken
Freshly arrived from the Tate Modern, the first major retrospective of Fahrelnissa Zeid highlights her role as a pioneering Turkish modernist who challenged a Eurocentric male-dominated art world. On at Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle through Mar 25.
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Art on the move
Plaid plastic bags, non-native plants, falafel… The migration conversation dominates December’s recommended exhibitions. Here’s our art editor’s take.
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Breaking the white space: Sol Calero
Preis der Nationalgalerie finalist Sol Calero talks about the politics of representation and creating art out of a strip mall.
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THEY: An exhibition on queer identity
“Only dead fish follow the stream,” reads the exhibition text for THEY. Spotlighting mainly Berlin-based artists who flow against the “tide” of gender and sexual norms, it’s a fine survey of local talent.
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Geoffrey Farmer stirs up politics in his solo show
Catch Geoffrey Farmer’s solo-exhibition, “The Care With Which the Rain Is Wrong”, at Schinkelklause, which offers insights into humankind through his meticulous collection of images, objects and sounds. Through Nov 12.
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Beyond the kibbutz
Contemporary artists have their say on the centennial in Israeli exhibition The Kids Want Communism. Catch it before it’s over Nov 12.
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American eyes: Danny Lyon
INTERVIEW! Curator Julian Cox on bringing Message to the Future, a major retrospective on firebrand American photographer Danny Lyon, to C/O.
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Eyes on the prize
This year’s four Preis der Nationalgalerie finalists exhibit side by side at Hamburger Bahnhof. They’ll be coming together for an artist talk on Oct 12 (19:00, in English) before the prize is awarded on October 20.
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The observer on Ku’damm
Jeanne Mammen captured the women of Weimar Berlin better that anyone, observing life from the peephole of her Charlottenburg studio. See her work at the Berlinische Galerie starting October 5.
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Harun Farocki: By Other Means
A multi-venue retrospective of the late German filmmaker is on at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Arsenal, Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Silent Green Kulturquartier through Jan 28.
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Yesterday’s utopia, today’s reality
On view through Jan 14 in Berlin: expressionist visions of Wenzel Hablik.
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Snowden through a prism: SAZAE bot
INTERVIEW! What do Edward Snowden and Pink Floyd have in common? Japanese collective SAZAE bot explore the Snowden leaks through internet culture in their performance at the finissage of Signals on Sep 26, 18:00 at Diamondpaper.
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Olafur Eliasson and the reality factory
INTERVIEW! The art megastar and curator of the second Festival of Future Nows at Hamburger Bahnhof (Sep 14-17) invited us for a chat about his most personal project and a rare tour of his art studio/start-up factory…
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6 questions for… Olafur Eliasson
Danish-Icelandic megastar Olafur Eliasson is putting on the second Festival of Future Nows at Hamburger Bahnhof (Sep 14-17). We asked him six questions ahead of his 100-artist strong Art Week splash.
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Inside the art whirlwind: Art Week Berlin
The fairs, the films, the festivals… this year’s Art Week (Sep 13-17) is the most expansive yet. Here are our highlights.
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A suitcase full of secrets: Evan Light
An exhibition and a book are bringing the Snowden files back to Berlin. As part of the Signals (Sep 12-26, Diamondpaper), American surveillance researcher Light presents his “Snowden Archive-in-a-Box” in a hands-on workshop (Sep 13).
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Who still cares about Snowden?
Online mag Berliner Gazette brings up the Snowden files, and what we really know of them, in exhibition Signals (Sep 12-26) at Diamondpaper and a book launch for “A Field Guide to the Snowden Files” (Sep 11) at Walther König.
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Spaced-out Russians
Haus der Kulturen der Welt takes Berliners on a mind-boggling trip through Cosmism in the conference and exhibition Art Without Death, Aug 31-Oct 3.
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Christ on a rug
At the Museum of European Cultures, a 350-year-old weaving tells the story of the Reformation.
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No giving up, no lies: Hiwa K
INTERVIEW! Berlin-based Kurdish Iraqi conceptual Hiwa K confronts capitalism and Kurdish existentialism in “Don’t Shrink Me to the Size of a Bullet” at KW. Catch it before it ends August 13.
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John Bock: Hell’s Bells
On display at Berlinische Galerie from Jul 26-Aug 21, John Bock’s German feature film premiere evokes a kind of disgust that stays stuck in your throat.
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Fashion or art? Michael Müller
INTERVIEW! Berlin-based artist (and not the mayor) Michael Müller blurs the line between art and fashion with his new exhibition Teil 18. Die Welt gibt es nicht! at Galerie Thomas Schulte. Catch it before it ends Jun 24!
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Fast futures
From URL to IRL – a host of exhibitions this month focus on our ever-evolving relationship with technology.
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A queer migration
INTERVIEW: Aykan Safoğlu and Emre Busse examine the Turkish-German connection through a LGBTQ lens in ğ – the soft g, on through May 29 at the Schwules Museum.
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Something for the weekend: Gallery Weekend 2017
Gallery Weekend (Fri, Apr 28 to Sun, Apr 30) is back with a mind-boggling array of openings to choose from. Make sure to add these tips to your itinerary.
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Mad artists: Kasia Fudakowski
INTERVIEW! Fudakowski pairs up two art and comedy antiheroes, Lee Lozano and Andy Kaufman respectively, in “Double Standards”, her new show at ChertLüdde. The show is on Apr 28-Jun 17. Don’t miss!
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March art march
Here are three exhibitions to hop to this spring before the mania really ensues with next month’s Gallery Weekend. Berlinische Galerie, Galerie Bastian and the Georg Kolbe Museum are all calling…
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Know your history: Dean Sameshima
INTERVIEW! American artist and self-designated preserver of queer culture Dean Sameshima on why his show 647(a) serves both as nostalgia and a cautionary tale. It opens Mar 10 at Peres Projects.
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Repurposing ISIS: Navine G. Khan-Dossos
London-based artist Navine G. Khan-Dossos talks about printers, abstraction, and breaking down propaganda in her solo Command: Print. Catch it before it ends Feb 10 at Nome Gallery.
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Meaning it, not literally: Omer Fast
INTERVIEW! Hyped video artist Omer Fast has installed a high-profile, seven-film show (complete with its own Ausländerbehörde) on the top floor of the Martin-Gropius-Bau (on through Mar 12). We asked him about process, politics, and porn.
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In with the new
Spring may still feel far away, but Berlin’s art spaces have already come out of hibernation with three high-profile reopenings. Our art editor gives runs down the changes and new exhibitions at Daadgalerie, KW and Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
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The new kid at KW: Krist Gruijthuijsen
Dutch 36-year-old Krist Gruijthuijsen has taken over Mitte’s modern art institution KW as director. We asked him about his “make or break” philosophy, being a fresh face on the scene and the Benelux presence in Berlin.
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Fighting the system: Cornelia Schleime
INTERVIEW! Schleime, winner of this year’s Hannah Höch Prize for lifetime achievement, on fleeing East Berlin, starting all over again and creating free art in a free world. Don’t miss her exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie, on through Apr 24.
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Art in times of crisis
The Akademie der Künste overwhelms us with death and despair in Uncertain States, but there may be hope for humanity yet. It’s on through January 15.
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December art hop: Berlin’s biggest hits
Take a look at this month’s new art exhibits, leading you from an immersive reflection on waiting at the Ausländerbehörde to a medieval moral compass which works by way of illustrating its exact opposite.
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Lucia Moholy’s stolen legacy
“The English Years” celebrates the work of the over shadowed Bauhaus photographer. See some of the photographs that Walter Gropius stole and more at her retro at the Bauhaus-Archiv, on through Feb 27.
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Toxic safe spaces: Hannah Perry
INTERVIEW! British artist Hannah Perry’s hypnotic installation 100 Problems at Contemporary Fine Arts takes on gender formation, relationships and vicious cycles with video, spoken monologue and music. It’s on through Dec 17.
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Late November’s art lessons
End your November with art presented by the Akademie der Künste. Camaro Stiftung hosts 150 years of the Association of Berlin Women Artists, while AdK’s Uncertain States has a number events, including “A World Not Ours” on Nov 17.
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Truly global: Safia Dickersbach
INTERVIEW! Dickersbach has shaken up the art publishing scene with Prōtocollum, an annual publication that includes artists from all around the world and empowers them to become their own curators. The third issue is out this month.
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Behind camp fences
Berlin-based photographer Christian Vagt visited Greece’s notorious Softex refugee camp for his latest exhibition, on at Somos from Nov 1-12.
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The future has begun: Constant Dullaart
High-profile digital detective Constant Dullaart wages war with Facebook in Synthesising the Preferred Inputs. Read our interview with him and then catch it at Future Gallery in Schöneberg before it ends Oct 15.
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Chiharu Shiota: Uncertain Journey
Shiota returns to Berlin with an installation of red thread that begs to be instagrammed. On through Nov 12 Sun at Blain|Southern.
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Florian Meisenberg: “Um, nice guy, good hospitality, but.. y’know (…)”
Clues to a mystery that is perhaps non-existent… Meisenberg’s installation uses video projection, secret recordings, and oddly shaped canvases to create an exhibit that leaves you scratching your head. Through Oct 19 at Wentrup.
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Offline in Neukolln: Feminist cyber art gets real
INTERVIEW! Meet the Laeitia Duveau, the girl breaking the internet with her online art platform Curated By Girls and get a load of her aesthetic IRL Oct 8-9 at Blender & Co in Neukölln.
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Ground Control to Major Eckell
Dietmar Eckell returns to Berlin with another installation in his long-term photography project Restwert. The latest chapter documents abandoned sites and ways of being in a series of never before seen prints. On through Oct 9 Gallery Erstererster.
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Refugees on Mars: Halil Altindere
INTERVIEW! Refugees… in space! Halil Altindere is hitting Berlin Art Week with a jarring dystopian proposal: send them to Mars. Check out “Space Refugee” opening at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein on Sep 14.
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Finding love in chaos
Don’t let the screens and AI fool you – this edition of the Berlin Biennale draws warmth from the most surprising of places.
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Siglo de Oro: Art’s gloomy forecast
Through efforts from King Felipe VI of Spain and President Joachim Gauck, the exhibition El Siglo de Oro brings the biggest show of Spanish art outside Spain to Berlin. Check out Spanish Golden Age at the Gemäldegalerie through Oct 30.
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Art Week for everyone
Berlin Art Week is upon us (Sep 13-18) but how do you handle it all? Fret not, whether you’re a snob, a trend-chaser or a hipster, here’s what to see and do at Berlin’s six-day exhibition extravaganza.
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Portraits of peace and palm trees
Mathilde ter Hejne and company create a feminist utopia at Körnerpark for the exhibition, “Sweat, Blood and Tears – Assembling Past and Future” on through Sep 4.
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Tanz im August: You should be dancing
Tanz im August kicks off tomorrow (Aug 11), and we’ve got a list of the up-and-comers you need to catch in movement.
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Berlin Biennale: Great expectations
Without time for much reflection after Gallery Weekend, the Berlin Biennale is already here. What do art aficionados expect to see? More importantly, what do they want to see? You can judge the citywide installations yourself starting Jun 4.
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Three questions for… DIS
The NYC-based collective brings its irony-infused, post-internet-dominated approach to the Berlin Biennale, kicking off Jun 4.
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Only sound: Kazuo Imai of Marginal Consort
INTERVIEW. Whatever you do, don’t call it music! Legendary Japanese experimental noise foursome Marginal Consort break their rule of only performing once a year and treat Berlin with a special concert on Jun 6 at St. Elisabeth Kirche. But why?
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Not waiting for paint to dry: Petra Cortright
INTERVIEW! Copy, paste, voilà! Post-internet artist Petra Cortright makes “digital paintings” with Photoshop. She’s gone from selling JPEGs to exhibitions at Frieze London. Catch the young artist’s Berlin exhibition at Société before it ends May 27.
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Shooting people, not angels
INTERVIEW. Winged bodies enveloped in ecstasy, anguish or some exhilarating mix between: Gérard Rancinan and Caroline Gaudriault’s “The Destiny of Men” looks at extremes of emotion through dark and polished photographs at Urban Spree May 13-29.
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Necessary fighting: Leiko Ikemura
INTERVIEW! Get a fix of feminist art before it’s gone on April 17. Leiko Ikemura celebrates female protagonists through various mediums in her solo exhibition “…And Suddenly the Wind Turns” at Haus am Waldsee.
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Drawing war for peace: Hamid Sulaiman
INTERVIEW! Hamid Sulaiman might have fled his home in Syria, but he’s not done with the war and the revolution. You can see the original sheets from his graphic novel “Freedom Hospital” at Galerie Crone from Apr 9-Jun 18.
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Nervous Systems: Big issues with big data
Surveillance, paranoia and big data… HKW’s newest exhibition deals with topics Berliners know and love, but may not understand. From Julian Assange’s office to a fake Apple store, Amanda Ribas Tugwell unpacks it for you. On through May 9.
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Anthea Hamilton: Inflatable love
INTERVIEW! Hamilton collaborates with fellow London-based artist (and life partner) Nicholas Byrne to fill the Schinkel Pavillon with inflatable sculptures in Love IV: Cold Shower on through Apr 10.
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Death is all-consuming
Photographer Seiichi Furuya’s exhibition “Gravitation” at Thomas Fischer Gallery charts some morbid territory, asking the question: Are we ever truly free from the loss of a loved one? Explore for yourself through April 2.
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March exhibitions: Six not to miss
You don’t have to wait until Gallery Weekend in April to see some great art. We’ve got a list of six for March to tide you over.
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Hardly a disgrace
Pakistani American playwright Ayad Akhtar’s phenomenally-written “Disgraced” hits Theater am Kurfürstendamm starting Mar 2. How did the Pulitzer prize-winning play pan out on stage in City West? Does it go off with a bang or is it disgraceful?
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Chemical architecture: Iris Touliatou
INTERVIEW! After making quite a splash at the ABC art fair last autumn, Touliatou experiments with formulas in her solo exhibition Can You Wash The Water, on at DUVE. Catch her latest exhibition before it closes Sat, Feb 26.
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Motion under control
In Anette Rose’s “Captured Motion”, numerous videos of busy machines in a textile factory fill walls with hypnotising choreographed movements at Haus am Lützowplatz.
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Brutally necessary: Art from the Holocaust
In a shudderingly explicit new exhibition, Berlin hosts 100 works created in the ghettos and camps of WWII Europe. It’s art that survived the Holocaust – even if the artists didn’t. Discover the beauty formed in an era of darkness, through Apr 3.
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Norihiko Dan: Chikei in Berlin
Japan’s “Chikei” cannot be translated into English, though it roughly means landforms, and the source of life. Check out Norihiko Dan’s architectural installations at Architektur Galerie through Feb 27 to see just how Chikei Berlin can get.
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Life through a lens: Von hier zu mir
Contributions from Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia and more in Bulgarisches Kulturinstitut’s “Von hier zu mir” produce a show full of life, colour, memory and most importantly distortion. Warm up to a bit of the Balkans this winter through Feb 12.
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The artist’s guide to Transmediale
Instead of one main exhibition, this year Transmediale presents “Conversation Piece”, a series of events, installations and conversations, Feb 3-7 at HKW. We’ve navigated the “infinite scroll” of the programme to find this year’s must-sees for you.
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February exhibitions: Six not to miss
HIGHLIGHTS: The art world’s winter hibernation is over and Berlin’s got it going on. From the misogynist feminism of Carol Rama to anti-traditional Japanese minimalism from Koji Enokura, here are six shows to check out this month.
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House of illusions
INTERVIEW! Galerie Buchholz transforms into an imagined home in Lucy McKenzie ’s “Inspired by an Atlas of Leprosy”, on through January 23.
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Michael Müller: Closing and opening doors
INTERVIEW! Last year, his art was exhibited all over town. Now hotshot artist Michael Müller’s first institutional solo exhibition is the talk of the Berlin art scene. Catch the UdK professor’s “Wer Spricht” at KW before it closes January 24.
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Davide Quayola: Engaging with history
INTERVIEW: Davide Quayola’s “Iconographies” (through Mar 5 at NOME) is the buzzed-about exhibition at this year’s Transmediale Vorspiel. The Italian artist uses custom software to put a spin on renowned works from throughout history.
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The gestalt of Anton Corbijn
David Bowie, Nick Cave, Tom Waits… even The Slits are not neglected among Corbijn’s portraits of famed musicians. His pair of exhibitions – Hollands Deep and 1-2-3-4, at C/O Berlin through Jan 31 – make for a captivating retrospective.
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Sung Tieu: Invisible forms of migration
INTERVIEW: The 27-year-old artist pulls no punches in addressing migration: both the current refugee crisis and her own migration from Vietnam to Berlin, in Emotion Refuge, at Micky Schubert through Jan 18.
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A girl called Jonny
Have you met Jonny yet? If not, it’s time to in Insitu’s first of four character-based exhibtions, this one on through Dec 19. Exploring the not-so-distant past’s portrayals of strong femininity, “Jonny” is here to examine past and present.
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Sensing Brian Tennessee Claflin
An exceptionally magnetic person and intense and raw artist, Brian Claflin left an indelible mark on Berlin before his tragic death in 2014. Now his first posthumous exhibition, The Five Senses, at SomoS is making his mark felt once more.
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25 years of art in print: Texte zur Kunst
INTERVIEW. The quarterly publication Texte zur Kunst celebrates 25 years of leading the art publication world in theory and debate. Read our interview with the co-founder and the editor-in-chief.
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Winter exhibitions: Six not to miss
December, despite what you think, is pretty hot – for art. From masters to newbies, we’ve got six art shows for you to check out before they end. Read our picks here.
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Max Beckmann and Berlin
The exhibition at Berlinische Galerie is a rare beast: a retrospective that offers insight into the artist’s development, contextualising Beckmann’s work with that of his contemporaries. Runs Nov 20 through Feb 15.
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Mariechen Danz: Body of work
INTERVIEW! The eponymous centrepiece of Mariechen Danz’s Womb Tomb is a body with exposed organs, eternally incomplete. We spoke with the artist about her work dealing with the human body; see it for yourself at Galerie Tanja Wagner opening Nov 20.
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Tom Anholt: Forward to the past
INTERVIEW: UK artist Tom Anholt’s solo exhibition History Boy (exploring histories both personal and artistic) is still on display through Nov 21, so don’t delay! Read our interview, then head on over to Eigen + Art Lab and check it out.
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Caucasian and Central Asian art fronts: Slavs and Tatars
Haven’t seen Slavs and Tatars’ playful yet hyper-critical work yet? This month offers two chances, but one is only through Nov 14 at Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, so catch it now. Read our interview with one of the collective’s anonymous members first.
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“Cindy, I love your work, I love you.”
Legendary photographer Cindy Sherman has many fans, but perhaps none quite so fanatical as Thomas Olbricht. His 65-piece personal collection is on display right now, offering a rare chance to experience a broad spectrum of Sherman’s work.
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Object of obsession
Part vintage stationery shop, part creative research lab, Inkwell, laden with old-timey office supplies, is an object-interface through which we can access the pre-digital workspace – only available for your perusal through October 15.
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Paul is dead
The ever-disturbing, never-predictable Paul McCarthy returns to Berlin – in the form of a lifeless, naked body at the Schinkel Pavillon. We reviewed his hotly anticipated new exhibition, on through November 22.
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Show some love for Berliner Liste
With another instalment of Berlin Art Week, we’re wondering why Berliner Liste is once again excluded from the program. Official or not, we staked it the city’s oldest art fair. And it was worth the look.
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Abandoned miracles
Hurry! Today and tomorrow German photographer Dietmar Eckell presents his photo collection on lost objects abandoned in the wild.
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The Exberliner Guide to Berlin Art Week 2015
A explosion of exhibitions is set to make up Berlin Art Week Sep 15-20. Not sure about which events to attend? We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the performances, openings and parties.
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Are you getting played?
How do we “play” social media? Why is Facebook like a comic book? Graphic novelist Gabriel S. Moses explains it all at the Disruption Network Lab event A Game Of You, at Bethanien from Aug 8-9.
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Sculpting situations
Artist-choreographer Tino Sehgal is showing in his home city for the first time. You can witness (and participate in) his weirdly affecting dance-based “social sculptures” at the Martin-Gropius-Bau through August 8.
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Looking through the navel
Berlin finally pays homage to the work of Jean Arp, one of the most important figures of 20th-century art. Dive headfirst into dadaism at the Georg Kolbe museum through Oct 11.
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White cube relaunch
The Berlinische Galerie is back after a near-year-long absence. With four different exhibitions in its newly renovated space, gallery director Thomas Köhler and co. are once again attracting the attention of modern art connoisseurs.
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Who cares about art?
With plastic bag swimming pools and heart-monitoring chandeliers, the Bernheimer Contemporary gathers artists to explore ideas of environmental and social responsibility in a spirited new exhibition in Residenz Monbijou. Through Aug 29.
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The painted lady
A woman is a work of art, quite literally in the case of American installation artist Donna Huanca. She creates spiritual terrains with clothing, plastic, canvas, makeup and living females. Her show Muscle Memory opens at Peres Projects on June 27.
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Naked over tea
Depicting the female form amid ornate surroundings, and raising questions about how his abstract subjects exist through time, Israeli artist Tal R’s tea-tinged exhibition “The Oolong” at Contemporary Fine Arts ends Jun 6. Catch it now!
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Damn dirty apes at HKW
The apes are loose at HKW in their Ape Culture exhibition! And where would ape culture be without The Planet of the Apes? Interdisciplinary artist Coco Fusco channels Dr. Zira for a live lecture on predatory humans on Jul 2.
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Redefining Isaac: Peter Greenaway and Saskia Boddeke
INTERVIEW. Legendary director Greenaway and Dutch theatre and visual artist Boddeke recreate the sacrifice of Isaac in “Obedience”, a massive multi-media installation at the Jewish Museum opening May 23.
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Licking Italian lakes
Poet and New Zealand expat Sandra Sarala’s newest book, “Looking for Lago di Lecco” (Lake of Licks), like her, is unconventional. In the form of handmade postcards, single-poem editions and more, the first editions come out on Thu, May 14 at CdPV.
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The artists will not conform
Private collections aren’t usually must-sees, but Klaus Staeck was more than just a collector – he was a catalyst. “Kunst für alle” at AdK documents and catalogues the interplay between art and politics from the early 1960s through the present day.
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Van Gogh in 3D
INTERVIEW. Gimmicky or great? The multisensory exhibition Van Gogh Alive attracts atypical gallery audiences with music, video, and immersive installations at the Alte Münze. The preview is on from May 14 and full opening May 21.
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Gallery Weekend descends
The swarm of exhibition openings envelops the city this weekend (May 1-3) and in order to navigate the occupation, art editor Fridey Mickel knows exactly where you need to go.
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Old to alien: Federico Vecchi
Turning boring household objects into compelling, alien works of art is Vienna-based artist Federico Vecchi’s specialty. Among all the Gallery Weekend madness, don’t miss Vecchi at Art Von Frei starting May 1.
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Rediscovering roots: Amir Fattal
The upcoming Gallery Weekend (May 1-3) will be a whirlwind of art must-sees. Start it off early with Israeli conceptual artist Amir Fattal’s new exhibition “Mesopotopography” at AJL Gallery, opening Apr 30.
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Lairs, war rooms and palaces
Famous production designer Sir Ken Adam designed the iconic sets for films like Dr Strangelove and Goldfinger. A retrospective at the Deutsche Kinemathek covers his life and work, including his Berlin childhood. See it before it closes May 17.
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“You can judge a bird from its feathers”
INTERVIEW. Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté shows a different side of his textile-based art at Blain Southern, working in a liminal space between African traditions and Western academicism. See his show before it closes Sat Apr 18.
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Changing ideology, changing architecture
“Devour: Social Cannibalism, Political Redefinition and Architecture” is a vast multimedia exhibition exploring post-communist and postcolonial architecture from Brazil to South Africa to Romania. See it at the Freies Museum before it closes Apr 12.
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Sex, power, art
INTERVIEW. Sexy sex! Berlin’s notorious for its pairing of sex with art and on Fri, Mar 27, artist Avi Berg shares his contribution at Sprechsaal with four other like-minded artists in “Sex Macht Gut”. It kicks off with a pole dance.
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Bringing the 1990s internet back
INTERVIEW. NY-based artist Cory Arcangel wants to preserve the disappearing artefacts of the early internet. He brings his nostalgic brand of net-influenced art to Galerie Max Hetzler for their group show Open Source, opening Mar 12.
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An eastern outpost
Looking for an outdoors-y hangout spot that’s not super expensive or overrun with tourists? Try venturing outside the Ringbahn to Marzahn’s Alte Börse. As of Mon, Mar 16, it’s now open till 10pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.
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Light and knowledge
Ann Veronica Janssens works mostly with light, creating stunning, uniquely immersive exhibition experiences which force viewers to question their own perceptions. On March 6 she opens a new exhibition at Esther Schipper Gallery.
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Anthropo-scene
Working with media ranging from paint and plaster to Yum Yum noodles and a bathtub installation catalogue, Vera Kox’s art focuses on change and duality. See her show with Manor Grunewald at Dune Gallery before it ends Feb 20.
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Capturing Transmediale
Berlin’s most esoteric festival of arts, Transmediale, returns to Berlin, with a task to “Capture All”. Catch it at Haus der Kulturen der Welt Jan 28-Feb 1.
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The return of old ghosts
Galerie Aurel Scheibler decided to invite Galerie Nierendorf, which occupied his gallery’s space from 1933-1938, back into its old home, rehanging works which had most likely hung on those same walls 80 years ago. Catch before it goes on Jan 31.
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For the love of Hermione
Post-internet genius or “nerd art bro”? Through January 10, visit Yves Scherer’s Emma Watson-based exhibition “Closer” at Galerie Guido W. Baudach and decide for yourself.
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Small wonders: Lucas Arruda
Thirty-one-year-old Brazilian painter Lucas Arruda is about to make it big – by making it small. Check out his tiny creations before the exhibition at Veneklasen/Werner ends on Sat, Jan 10.
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Tina Sauerländer on… Caroline Kryzecki
Dec 5 sees the opening of Superposition at Sexauer Gallery, featuring Berlin artist Caroline Kryzecki and her new mystical ballpoint pen-on-paper creations. Here, curatorial it-girl Tina Sauerländer takes us deeper under the surface of the art.
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Three questions for… Céline Poulin
Céline Poulin works exclusively with art in communal areas and outdoor artistic practice, and with Berlin’s abundance of transformable spaces, she has something new to present Berliners at her workshop on Nov 27 at DAZ.
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Gobbing for 20 years
INTERVIEW. The city cult institution Gob Squad invites you to “Be Part of Something Bigger” at the group’s weekend-long 20-year anniversary extravaganza, happening November 20-22 at HAU. Don’t miss!
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An artistic walk through Hell
INTERVIEW. New Leipzig School artist David Schnell brings a show of remarkable new oil-on-canvas works to Eigen + Art. His new exhibition makes one realise the past is only a preface to what he has yet to come. Catch it before it ends on Oct 18.
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Three questions for… Dscreet
The British-born wall-scrawler paints clear pictures and they’re getting doubly clear as he pairs off street artists from all over the world at Urban Spree’s DUBL TRUBL, on through Oct 26.
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Street art on an (Urban) Spree
The question “street art or vandalism?” is a well-worn one, but today still provokes a response. From Sep 18, Urban Spree hosts street crew Dubl Trubl, illustrating this fine line by pairing up artists for a mash-up of artistic urbanity.
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All the young artists
INTERVIEW. With Berlin’s Art Week arriving next week, Alex Duve delivers young hotshot Chris Succo ahead of the chaos. The hotshot gallerist has an eye for the next big thing. The exhibition opens on Sep 12.
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Has the autumn of art lost its edge?
Berlin Art Week is on Sep 16-21, with the three big fairs – Positions, ABC and Berliner Liste – starting the 18th. But it’s not what it used to be. Camille Moreno explores the loss of our Kunstherbst.
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The jewellery snatcher
INTERVIEW: Re Rebaudengo’s obsession for art is on display at Me Collectors Room, but it’s her penchant for bling that is particularly dazzling, with pieces dating back to the 1930s. There’s only a little over a month before it ends on Sep 21.
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Berghain turns 10!
On Thu, Aug 7, Berghain’s Halle opens its doors to the public to celebrate 10 years of its infamous sister space. Nine artists including Carsten Nicolai, Norbert Bisky and the gatekeeper himself Sven Marquardt exhibit works from a decade of dance.
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A month of indie art
Get ready for Project Space Festival, a month-long extravaganza exhibiting the treasures of the indie, underground art scene in Berlin. Throughout August, 30 different spaces give a new platform to the under-appreciated artists of the city.
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Otto in the sky
Art collective ZERO co-founder and prolific 86-year-old installation artist and professor Otto Piene sadly passed away Thursday, the first day of his exhibition “More Sky”. Don’t miss the legend’s last living contribution at Neue Nationalgalerie.
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Oh, Dolly!
INTERVIEW. The phenomenon that is Dolly Parton takes exhibition form at Bikini Berlin’s 25hours Hotel, going on through July 21. While there may be a claim to kitsch about the country icon, eight Finnish artists show the 9-to-5er as transcendental.
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Does Berlin painting have a gender problem?
Compared to other art centres around the world, Berlin’s painting scene seems to still be boys’ club. Fridey Mickel takes stock of the situation in light of Corinne Wasmuht’s new exhibition at AdK starting on Fri, Jul 4.
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An abstract partnership
INTERVIEW. Influential abstract expressionist Phillip Guston, long considered a master in America, finally exhibits in Berlin, posthumously. Gallerist Aurel Scheibler discusses the painter before the exhibition ends Jun 28.
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Unknown Photographers
INTERVIEW. Debuting June 13 at Pavlov’s Dog, Berlin-based artist, performer and curator Andrés Galeano presents an exhibition of found photography that transcends without trying to be funny. But you may find humour nonetheless.
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Artist to watch: Jonny Star
Artist and curator Jonny Star appeared on the art scene last spring full of fresh ideas from NYC with artwork using tactile and visual elements ranging from stuffed animals to softcore porn. Her next show opens June 14 at the art space Montagehalle.
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Laying low
Opening Jun 7, Artists Cameron Tauschke, from Australia, and Sam Melser, from New Zealand, used David Bowie’s melancholic song “Subterraneans” as a launching pad for their upcoming collaborative exhibition. Go down and check it out.
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Designer heaven: DMY at Tempelhof
The DMY International Design Festival Berlin has taken form at Tempelhof. Designers from around the world shape a vision of the future for curious onlookers. Feast your eyes on our photo gallery. DMY continues through June 1.
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The Biennale bounces back
Since 1998 the Berlin Biennale, the near cult-level art fair, has surfaced biannually with new curators, themes, and locations, on the heels of Documenta as one of Germany’s most important art events. It kicks off May 8 and runs through Aug 8.
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A sticky situation
Berlin has long been a celebrated centre of graffiti, but its arguably most pervasive medium – the sticker – is also amongst its most underrated. Oliver Baudach is changing that with his Friedrichshain-based Hatch Sticker Museum.
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Sascha Weidner: Feeling too much and speaking too much
One of Berlin’s most promising photographers, Sascha Weidner passed away last weekend at age 38. We spoke to him one year ago.
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Bowie on display
INTERVIEW: Next week Bowie-mania in Berlin comes to a head with the opening of mammoth exhibition “David Bowie Is…” at Martin-Gropius-Bau on May 20. What can you expect to see? Curator Victoria Broackes knows.
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Playground pics
With its 10 different art installations, made only for taking cool photos, Olympus Photography Playground is a Berlin Instagrammer’s wet dream. Visit the interactive exhibition for free before May 25 at the Opernwerkstätten.
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Gallery Weekend
Celebrating a decade of existence, this year’s 72-hour, city-wide orgy of consecutive art parties and exhibition vernissages is bursting at the seams, with many unofficial events joining in. Overdose on the Berlin art scene May 2-4, all for free!
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Wemhöner’s living room
Fridey Mickel details her visit to the home of German businessman and art collector Heiner Wemhöner, whose impressive collection (or at least a portion of it) is surveyed in a special exhibition at Osram Höfe. Catch it before it ends on Sat.
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Weiwei in the house
Ai Weiwei’s ‘Evidence’ at the Martin-Gropius-Bau is now officially open! Whether or not he actually comes to Berlin is yet to be seen, his presence can be felt all over the exhibition. Here’s what to expect.
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Who is Weiwei?
Evidence, a massive solo exhibition by Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, comes to the Martin-Gropius-Bau with a vernissage on Apr 2 and general opening Apr 3. There’s no shortage of hype… but who exactly are we talking about?
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Through the lens glass
The Akademie der Künste plays host to a breathtaking retrospective of contemporary sculpture from iconic twentieth century artists: foregrounded in the exhibition is an enthralling intersection of photography, sculpture and movement. Through Apr 21.
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Analogue meets digital: Curator Tina Sauerländer
In #Visual Noise, Sauerländer pairs artists Diana Artus and Ornella Fieres to explore the threshold between analogue and digital photography. Catch the exhibition at Lage Egal before it ends on Mar 21.
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Jeff Cowen: Not just documentation
Cowen brings his timeless photography to Veneklasen/Werner opening Feb 24 and running through Mar 8.
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Hello Klemm: A. Meschtschanow
With his trademark dry sense of humour, Ukranian-born artist Alexej Meschtschanow curates the group exhibition I Just Came To Say Hello at Klemm’s, dealing with egocentricity and psychology in the artistic temperament. It runs through Mar 2.
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Artist to watch: Kristina Schuldt
Schuldt’s disturbing oil paintings are part of highball Berlin gallery Eigen+Art’s Take Five blitz exhibition series this week. Catch the work of our February artist to watch there only from Feb 18-22.
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“I never have the shot in mind. Ever.”
With a 45-year career as a press photographer for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung behind her, and a multi-award-winning oeuvre to show for it, Klemm is no ordinary photojournalist. Don’t miss her retrospective at Martin-Gropius-Bau through Mar 9.
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Waters still runs deep
Opening February 6 is a month-long solo exhibition at Sprüth Magers by none-other than John Waters! Better known for his transgressive cult films and trademark inventiveness, Waters drives the knife even deeper with his visual artwork.
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Primal experiences: Ignacio Uriarte
INTERVIEW. Working with such varied talents as Michael Winslow and Blixa Bargeld, sound artist Uriarte’s works this time with a typewriter. New Blain Southern show Analog features him among seven others sound artists through Feb 1.
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Artist to watch: Stefan Fähler
Hungry freaks and gory disco skulls, the ambassadors of a city and a subculture, peer out of vibrantly coloured posters. Through symbolic illustration, the Greek-German artist creates faces that tell stories. He’s January’s artist to watch.
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Artist to watch: Marianna Uutinen
Everything closed for Weihnachtspause but you still hunger for art? Check out Finnish queen of painting Marianna Uutinen, our December artist to watch. Her joint exhibition with Anselm Reyle is open over the holidays (aside from Dec 24-26).
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Schlingensief: Art and life without division
INTERVIEW. Through the entire month of December, KW pays tribute to Berlin artist, actor, author and filmmaker Christoph Schlingensief with a full posthumous retrospective, curated by Anna-Catharina Gebbers and Susanne Pfeffer.
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Give the gift of art
Before shelling out your last €50 at Urban Outfitters for that special something for that special someone, think about buying them some posters, prints or paraphernalia at one of these indie art shops.
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Structures from space: Philippe Rahm
INTERVIEW. Sat, Nov 30 sees the opening of Philippe Rahm’s “Constructed Atmospheres” at Architektur Galerie. The Swiss architect rethinks architecture with meteorology in mind.
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Picasso pub crawl, anyone?
Picassophile? The legendary Spanish painter’s artwork is now showcased at two simultaneous exhibitions not to be missed. Soak up the master’s multifarious work and celebrate his 132nd birthday at two different museums.
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Learning to fly
Joanne Grüne-Yanoff’s mixed-media exhibition “Instructions for Flight” uses body language mixed with contradictory written statements bringing the most sensitive parts of being to light. Through Nov 30 at Galerie Helga Maria Bischoff.
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Gorki’s fall facelift
Former head of Ballhaus Naunynstr. Shermin Langhoff has taken full control of Maxim Gorki Theater. While the leaves fall around us, the theatre’s opening event starting Nov 9, Herbstsalon, promises to be a flurry of autumnal artistic excitement.
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Face to face: Luigi Christopher Veggetti Kanku
Italian painter Luigi Christopher Veggetti Kanku brings canvases as large and wide as his name to Berlin, exhibiting solo here for the first time. “Faces and Cities” opens at De Freo Gallery on Nov 9 and is not to be missed.
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After Year Zero: Africa since WWII
INTERVIEW. With much post-1945 historical focus on the Cold War and Eastern Bloc, Africa’s position in the world order is unfortunately often overlooked. In After Year Zero, HKW and Anselm Franke explore the continent from a new perspective.
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Paint like an Egyptian
Khaled Hafez presents his first Berlin exhibition. Hafez’s sarcastic, subversive work places pop culture next to Pharaohs, vividly contrasting East and West in a modern menagerie of mixed media. Running through Oct 19 at Galerie Naimah Schütte.
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A material mind-fuck
Aanant & Zoo present the second part of their annually curated exhibition of curated guest artists. Go get your mind blown by works from artists like Elena Bajo, Geerten Verheu and Martin Bothe, all throbbing with life. The trip ends on Oct 19.
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The Exberliner Guide to Berlin Art Week 2013
TONIGHT! Berlin Art Week is in full swing and Fridey Mickel has compiled a guide to make sense of the sensory overload. Read on and take your pick of her picks as the art world takes over (Sep 17-22).
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Artist to watch: Roey Heifetz
Art Week is upon us and its sheer breadth might seem crushing. Roey Heifetz, an artist exhibiting at Preview through the Israeli Embassy, has been making impressions in Berlin for a year now, and is one of many reasons to wade through the art sea.
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All’s fair in art
Artforum might be no more than a memory, but starting this week, on Sep 18, three Berlin art fairs will carry the torch as the official kick-off to the second annual BERLIN ART WEEK (Sep 17-22). Fridey Mickel has the lowdown.
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“I know where the naked bodies should be placed”
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE! A new exhibition by French photographer Ruben Brulat, whose work explores the connection between the nude human body and grand landscapes of natural elements, is on display now at Urban Spree through Sep 22.
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Römer holiday
Artistic partners in work (and life) Römer + Römer will debut their newest exhibition, Sambódromo, depicting scenes from Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, on Sep 7 at Galerie Michael Schultz.
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Sound to art: Ari Benjamin Meyers
INTERVIEW. Before his first solo exhibition on Sep 7 at Esther Schipper, composer and conductor-turned-artist Ari Benjamin Meyers talks about combining art and music, and why his experimental work is no different than Justin Bieber – except better.
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Checking in with… Stephan Jung
INTERVIEW. With technically complex paintings that articulate light and colour as clearly as an LCD screen, Jung’s appreciation for contemporary technology is obvious. His exhibition at Exile opens Sep 6.
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“Trust is all there is”
INTERVIEW. Lauded sculptor (Sir) Anish Kapoor’s first solo show in the city explores changing states through his imposing, emotive works and use of crimson. See deep red on the entire ground floor of the Martin-Gropius Bau, running until Nov 24.
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“We are living in incredible times of amnesia”
INTERVIEW. French-Algerian artist Kader Attia meditates on repair, culture, colonialism and impermanence through a decade’s worth of objects presented in five acts in his first solo exhibition in Germany, running though Aug 25 at KW.
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They are the robots
Straight out of Computerwelt to the art world! Po-faced electronic pioneers Kraftwerk are offering a look at their distinctive take on 3D – visitors to Sprüth Magers can see eight of their charmingly creaky concert videos for free until Aug 31.
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Dark side of the toon
Musician and artist Toby Goodshank’s first solo exhibition is a colourful riot of mad-eyed pop culture references with a distinctly sinister feel – don’t miss the closing this evening!
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Gallery to watch: Invaliden1
Still bearing the name of its original Mitte address, this hard-working gallery has put itself squarely on the art map over its eight years, with bold exhibitions offering artists considerable creative freedom. This month: Argentinian Nicolás Robbio.
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Chase away the dog days
Claudia Chaseling’s small but powerful mixed media sketches bring fresh colour to gallery/shop hybrid The Storefront Collection for the summer months.
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“It’s a kind of sunshine”
Messages from Reality, Volume 2, an exhibition celebrating Estonian art giants Enno Hallek, Andres Tolts and Leonhard Lapin, is a colourful shot in the arm. See Pop Art in a bright new light before it closes on July 13.
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Fresh air at KW
Kunst Werke Institute for Contemporary Art welcomes new head curator Ellen Blumenstein with a grand “Relaunch”, restoring the humanness of the earlier eras of KW. Check out the breath of fresh air on display now through Aug 25.
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“Stop being concerned with yourself!”
INTERVIEW. Artist and art-networker Thomas Eller, through his past positions at ArtNet, Temporary Kunsthalle and foremost as an artist, has collected lots of experience (not to mention contacts) from the Berlin art landscape.
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Party: Atelierhaus Mengerzeile turns 20!
Since its inception in 1993, Atelierhaus Mengerzeile in Treptow has thrived outside of the Berlin studio programme, receiving citywide acclaim and welcoming artists from all over the world. Celebrate 20 years with them on Sat, Jun 29.
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“The self-educated are know-it-alls”
Hansa Wißkirchen started his exhibition series “Salon Hansa” 20 years ago, curating elegant guerrilla exhibitions with self-educated artists. Now he has initiated a new, similar exhibition programme in Berlin with P.O.P. club owner Cornelius Opper.
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Lose your delusion
Much-plugged Greek-born artist Despina Stokou’s rather misguided first solo show is high on hype but low on real impact. Catch it and decide for yourself before it closes on June 22.
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Don’t shoot the messenger
Intrigued by the critical scorn directed at curators Christoph Tannert and Sven Drühl’s latest project, Fridey Mickel interviewed Tannert about Berlin.Status[2] to hear both a defence of the exhibition and a broadside against lazy art journalism.
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Shop till you pop
Artist and shop owner Yvette Mattern’s The Storefront Collection offers young, hip would-be collectors a chance to take home art from the not-so-unknown players in the art world. Even if you can’t afford anything, the shop is worth a look.
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Art is the drug
LAST CHANCE. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer boasts a sparkling collection of modern art – is it enough to shine up their less-than-gleaming image? Check out this roll-call of artistic innovation and decide for yourself before June 9.
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“Underground but safe”
El Segundo, opening May 31, at Urban Spree explores Berlin’s myths and reinvention as libertine playground. A cosmopolitan yet rustic, edgy yet quaint, den of dregs. A take-the-best-and-leave-the-rest stance of predisposed, supervised street culture.
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Martin Kippenberger: Sehr gut indeed
The infamous former manager of SO36 and founder of Sehr Gut magazine would have become a sexagenarian in February. The Hamburger Bahnhof hosts an ample collection of the legend’s paintings, photos and sculptures through August 18.
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“My explanation is the work itself”
INTERVIEW: Carsten Nicolai was only a pup of 18 when he had his first exhibition at Eigen + Art 30 years ago. The incomparable visual and sound artist rang in the gallery’s 30th anniversary with a brand new exhibition, ending this Sat, May 18.
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“I’m not really compatible with rich people”
INTERVIEW. Andreas Koch may have shut down his art space Koch + Kesslau in 2004, and for good reasons, but the Berlin artist continues to have a full palette. The newest issue of his art magazine “von Hundert” came out in mid-April.
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We are the world
Berlin might be the IT start-up capital of the world right now, but half a century ago, the original nerds hung out in Silicon Valley. HKW’s newest exhibition, The Whole Earth, opening Apr 26, traces tech history from California to Berlin.
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Art insanity! The ultimate guide to Gallery Weekend
With over 300 different exhibitions, talks and parties Gallery Weekend (Apr 24-28) might seem daunting. Lucky for you, Exberliner’s art editor brings you her picks of what not to miss from both the big names and newcomers to the Berlin art scene.
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“I try to work in a framework which I really know”
How can we disrupt the played-out tendencies and expectations of our western neoliberal society? Curator Stephan Köhler offers insight on his group show »Riss« at Hengesbach Gallery. Move fast to catch the tail-end of the show, ending April 20.
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“We force our audience a little bit”
INTERVIEW: Back in Feb 2012 we spoke to Ivo Wessel and Olaf Stüber, affable creators of Video Art at Midnight, offering a special platform to experience video art in a unique, unparalleled setting. Don’t miss the next VAM night on April 12.
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Every Friend of My Friend is My Friend
Curator Norma Mangione allowed the artists in the lengthily titled exhibition to play dream date with one another by selecting one of the other participating artists’ works to go with their own. See how they coupled at Chert through Apr 13.
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Douglas Gordon: Knives out
This isn’t the first time the (not so) Young British Artist and Turner Prize winner Douglas Gordon has played with knives: in 1993 he made 24-Hour Psycho. Now Sharpening Fantasy shows new visual-audio elements until April 28 at Blain|Southern.
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Ina Weber in Berlin: Hier today, gone in April
Joining the ranks of artists such as Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso, Ina Weber exhibits in Haus am Waldsee. Don’t miss her excellent show, “hier” through Apr 1, where she explores urban landscapes with a personal and innovative approach.
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RE-OPENING! Klemm’s in Kreuzberg
One of Berlin’s most important galleries has moved house from gallery-exhausted Mitte to Kreuzberg, where the scene is slightly fresher. Italian painter Bernard Piffaretti’s solo show christens the new space. It reopens on Sat, Mar 16.
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Eat your art out
Fridey Mickel looks into what happens when galleries meet gastronomy. At Gartenstudio (Kreuzberg), Kantine (Mitte) and Zagreus Projekt (Mitte) people are in for heady concepts as well as heavy bellies.
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Party Arty turns 10!
Renaissance man and wordsmith Yaneq hosts a birthday bash celebrating a decade of merging visual art with club beats, video, performance, and poetry. Celebrate the decennial of the Party Arty project on Thu, Mar 14 at Prince Charles.
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Last chance art! Hungry for more
Hungry / Hungry, the current exhibition at Galerie Jochen Hempel and ending this Fri (Feb 22), puts the chaos of the world into perspective. The mixed-media buffet is one of the best of the year, so catch it before the table is cleared.
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Opening! Drawing without drawing
An exhibition exploring the concept uses works touching on elements of typography, drawing, reduced colour palette, black line on white backdrop, and calligraphy. Opening Feb 15 at Gallery Christian Ehrentraut.
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Closing down the Guggenheim
Bid farewell to Berlin’s Deutsche Guggenheim, leaving us on Feb 17. The final exhibition currently on is a spectacular panorama of works by 20th-century art legends.
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World without Men: Helmut Newton
INTERVIEW! Newton museum curator Matthias Harder talks the shadowed side of Helmut and shedding new light on the work of the legendary fashion photographer. ‘World Without Men/Archive de Nuit” runs through May 19.
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Images of junkies and voguing
INTERVIEW! Jeremy Shaw is the artist behind the ubiquitous “Christiane F.” posters around the city in 2011, and is now featured in the KW’s “One on One” exhibition. Catch it before it closes its doors on Jan 20.
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Illuminating the mundane
INTERVIEW. One of four recent finalists in the revered Deutsche Börse Prize, Rinko Kawauchi’s photographs are now on display at the C/O Gallery.
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“I have no solutions”
INTERVIEW: Artist Tue Greenfort on his exhibition ERDGLAS and the contradictions of being climate conscious and winning a prize from a gas company.
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The Shuttered Society: The GDR through another lens
Looking inwards from the other side of the wall, this collection of photographs has had crowds pouring through the Berlinisches Gallery’s doors for weeks. Here’s our review.
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V_Museum: Russian virtual art at HBF
V_Museum simultaneously shows in a single space the work of six young artists standing for the sheer and inspiring diversity of the Moscow off-art scene in an “interactive” exhibition at Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Catch it before it ends, Dec 9.
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You might just be art
INTERVIEW: curator Susanne Pfeffer. One on One is more about the spectator’s interaction with the art than simply the art itself. While logistically complicated, nothing like it has been done before. It opens at KW Institute on Sun, Nov 18.
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“The topic is the birth and evolution of worms”
INTERVIEW: Katja Novitskova. Her sculptural forms use imagery and motifs from the natural world to create a comparison to the way humans have chosen to ensconce themselves within design and aesthetics. Her show opens on Sat, Nov 17 at Kraupa-Tuskany.
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A bunker of one’s own
Nazi bomb shelter, GDR warehouse, techno club, and since Christian and Karen Boros purchased the Mitte heritage-listed bunker in 2003, one the most intriguing sites to experience contemporary art. We take a peek inside.
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Beyond the internet
INTERVIEW: Aude Pariset. Not to be missed, one of the brightest lights of her generation talks to us about her multifarious practice on display in her solo show. The exhibition ends Oct 6, so catch it before the light goes out.
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Colonialism on display
Berlin holds one of the best collections of African art in the world but truth is, it is all stolen property. The excuse? The education and protection of world culture.
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Architecture and Ideology
Valerie Smith’s swansong, an ambitious HKW re-vamp, has just has one week left on the clock but there’s still time to catch it. In case you’re undecided, let us persuade you.
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Berlin Art Week: Who’s the fairest of them all?
The big art bang is upon us! From September 11-16, Berlin’s art scene explodes with fairs, fêtes and even food. Where to go? Exberliner knows!
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Tasteful tea-time eats itself
Queer performance-art collective NowMomentNow have organised a classic high tea with a twist for your delectation. Forget your manners and indulge in a satisfying mix of Foodgasm, photography and live performance.
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Diane Arbus at Martin-Gropius-Bau
There’s only one month left of summer, so if you haven’t seen the two mosted talked exhibitions of the season, it’s time to make your dates. Photography is the medium of choice. Read our review of Diane Arbus here.
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Larry Clark at C/O
There’s only one month left of summer, so if you haven’t seen the two mosted talked exhibitions of the season, it’s time to make your dates. Photography is the medium of choice. Read our review of Larry Clark here.
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“I don’t want to be ironic”
INTERVIEW. Scottish street artist Robert Montgomery confronts advertising with poetry. His newest works, which went on display in Berlin earlier this month, are at once touching, poignant and not at all ironic.
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A different way to fly
Escape to the outside world, via the single wing of an aeroplane: this summarises the latest exhibition on display by Slovak artist Roman Ondák called Do Not Walk Outside This Area. Today’s the last day to catch the exhibition, so catch if you can.
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Interrogation saviours
The multiform investigation agency S.A.V.E. hits 48 Stunden Neukölln at the bar Heroes for the weekend. Artists Ambra Pittoni and Paul-Flavien Enriquez-Sarano turn the investigator lamp on other artists.
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The kids are alright
INTERVIEW. In the wake of what many saw as a bloated, rhetoric-laden, excessively-political affair, artist Cecile B. Evans is staging an intervention, shedding a new light onto the central themes of this year’s Berlin Biennale.
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Light show
INTERVIEW. Young Berlin-based French artist Adrien Missika’s first solo show in Germany, The Sun Is Late, illuminates themes of light, time and perception at Galerie Crone. Catch the sun before it goes down on June 16.
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Craft-Werk
Mitten im Walde is a tiny handicraft heaven full of handmade furniture, design objects in clothes. A step up from all the other Berlin indie arts-and-crafty indie shops, they offers an assortment of beautiful goods to buy – or even rent!
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Pure magic or smoke and mirrors?
INTERVIEW. As part of Gallery Weekend at Isabella Bortolozzi, English artist Ed Atkins and Berlin-based Brit Juliette Blightman believe in magic.
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Berlin Biennale: Forget passivity
The 7th Berlin Biennale not only comments on politics – it provides a platform for political action and collective participation. The time has come to roll up your sleeves and get involved.
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Horvatland: App-solutely
Frank Horvat’s ‘A Trip Through A Mind’ takes on a new form of exhibition; perhaps the true star of it is the iPad. Lean back into a comfy chair and experience a trip through Horvat’s mind. Through Apr 29.
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Agitprop on Linienstraße: The 7th Berlin Biennale
INTERVIEW. Polish artist Artur Żmijewski on curating Berlin’s seventh Biennale: a regular at major exhibitions and biennials the world over, Żmijewski is known for ruffling feathers.
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Diva fever in Berlin
Elsa Quarsell comes to Bassy Club on April 25, for the raucous signing party of her new book, The Domestic Burlesque – a glossy coffee-table composition of burlesquers. The party brings the book to life!
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Art is John Lurie
INTERVIEW. The former Lounge Lizard exhibits in Berlin’s Martin Martens gallery and gives us a glimpse at his lesser known craft, painting, through Apr 29. Don’t miss!
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“I was sick of pretending”
INTERVIEW. Feminist figurehead Judy Chicago is best known for her work “The Dinner Party” which visually provided a place at the table for pussy. Check out the feminist icon at the huge Pacific Standard Time exhibition at Martin-Gropius-Bau.
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Pictoplasma explosion: an interview with Peter Thaler
Pictoplasma curator Thaler knows what makes characters more than cartoons. The colorful character fest hits Berlin April 11-15.
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Ryoji Ikeda at Hamburger Bahnhof
Proving simplicity is key Ikeda’s db runs through April 9. Don’t miss your last chance to enter his sculptural, experiential and utterly immersive world this long weekend.
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Get Plastered
Keep A Breast immortalises your breasts in plaster and turns them into art in the name of breast cancer awareness. Boys, don’t be shy! You’re invited too.
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Found in Translation
Exhibiting nine international artists and throwing up the buzzword ‘globalisation’ as a creative starting point, be sure to catch this intriguing collection at the Deutsche Guggenheim before April 9.
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He eats scum: an interview with Nick Zedd
Downtown low-budget shock king Nick Zedd on why his movies aren’t pretty. Showing at the KW Institute through Apr 9 as part of You Killed Me First, the Cinema of Transgression.
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Jew chic
So far the fine-dining experience has yet to be truly evaluated, but, morbid fetishism aside, the Jüdische Mädchenschule offers stylish homage to the Jews of present with its art space, cuisine, and historical theme.
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Oliver Laric: Destroying an image
INTERVIEW. King of clipart and master of the Mariah Carey mash-up, the Berlin-based Austrian artist prepares for his first Berlin solo show now on at Tanya Leighton,
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Digital art and media deception
A new exhibit called Avoid, Control, Accept, Transfer featuring work by multimedia intellectuals AIDS-3D kicks off today at the fledgling Kraupa Tuskany Gallery. Don’t miss it!
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Digital folk hero: An interview with Olia Lialina
Influential digital artist Lialina on this year’s Transmediale and why the internet is not a “neutral object machine”. Part of the ‘in/compatible’ symposium program from Feb.
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Transmediale 2012
Berlin’s most exciting digital media fest starts today and ends Feb 5. So check it out! What started as a DIY festival showcasing electronic media work is now one of the most important happenings in the city.
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“Life kind of forced me into photography”: Gundula Schulze Eldowy
INTERVIEW. Eldowy documented the stark, dark, honest side of GDR Berlin. With two exhibitions a city’s more complete portrait is pieced together.
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Gundula Schulze Eldowy
Famed photo gallery C/O presents Eldowy’s provocative and harrowing portrayal of life in the GDR. Don’t miss your opportunity to see the iconic photographer’s gritty shots from behind the Wall.
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Paparazzo extraordinaire!
From the iconic to the offensive, one of two highlights at C/O gallery right now is Ron Galella’s portrayal of what lies behind the glamour of the celebrity lifestyle in glorious black and white. Skip OK! mag, this is the real deal.
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“My Mind Only Works When I’m Outside”
INTERVIEW. Every hour during her 30-day hikes, American Mirra would pause and make an ink rubbing, leaving the creation of her work to the chance.
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The Museum of European Cultures reopens
As the Euro crisis sees the continent fall into deeper self-reflection, this anthropological gem, re-opening after two and a half years of renovations, fosters intra-continental understanding.
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How to draw: Berlin!
Berlin has never lacked for either aspiring artists or people willing to take their clothes off for money. But this winter you can bring these two things together in a creative social setting at a couple of live drawing workshops.
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Last chance oil-art before the holidays
Two shows proving oil still has a pulse in the city are drawing to a close – right before the holidays. Get your last bit of art-voyeurism in before the city culturally quiets down.
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Take a piece of the street home
As the Crow Flies’ opening on Dec 16 at Mother Drucker Gallery is an opportunity to take some of that giant Berlin street art and more home in the form of silkscreen prints. Don’t miss out!
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Web on the wall
INTERVIEW: French artist Juliette Bonneviot. The 28-year-old’s internet-inspired exhibition is currently on display at Circus Gallery. It ends Dec 17, so don’t miss it.
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Disassembling Bambi
INTERVIEW: Polish artist Mirosław Bałka. His exhibition Fragment, a selection of video works taken from footage of journeys to concentration and death camps, is on display at Akademie der Künste.
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Thicker than water
Taryn Simon’s A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters is the collection of bloodlines across the globe in a meticulous construction of narratives of family feuds, disorder and absence.
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Who is Ai Weiwei?
An exhibition in Martin-Gropius-Bau goes some way toward penetrating the myth of the man who helped design Beijing’s National Stadium and publicly criticised China’s ruling Communist party in the same breath.
Got any book recommendations?