Berlin Art Week 2018

Written for Art Muse, available at http://www.artmuseny.com/newsletter/article-berlin-art-week-2018/ 

September 2018 – Summer is over and it’s time to resume the very busy art calendar in Berlin. For that, nothing better than an Art Week to offer the chance to galleries, institutions and project spaces alike to give an international crowd an insight into Berlin’s unique art scene.

If there is a difference between Berlin’s and other “art weeks” or “art fair weeks” its that the city really concentrates it all together: two art fairs, Berlin Art Prize, world-class exhibitions, it is all happening during this week.

With so many options, preparing this preview is a challenge. We selected one event happening/opening for each day with a focus on events that have a Berlin flavour and allow visitors from outside the city to make the most of it and still get a sense of what the art scene in Berlin is about.

September 26: Exhibition Opening for The Moment is Eternity 

Olbricht Collection
September 26, 2018 – January 4, 2019

The Olbricht Collection is a private collection that presents works from early 16th century all the way to the present. The exhibition space collaborates with a range of collectors from all over the world to present their artworks to the public, often for the first time. The programme is highly respected for framing the private collections with a thoughtful process, the result is often on point and every time they present an exhibition with Olbricht’s own collection it is worthwhile to pay attention.

This particular show will focus on the medium of photography and covers a great range of artists, from contemporary blue-chip names such as Cindy Sherman, Wolfgang Tillmans and Rineke Dijkstra, to photography legends such as August Sander, Helmut Newton and Robert Doisneau. The show definitely will allow a short journey through art photography history and its relation to other media, for example in Betty, 1988 (image above) by Richter that was later reproduced in a limited edition from 1991, this later version is present in the exhibition.

September 27: Between Points, Archivio Conz

The Archivio Conz and Supportico Lopez in collaboration with The Performance Agency organise this very unusual experience, on a two-hour journey across the Spree (Berlin’s river) passengers will take part on live performances by 12 artists, including Juliette Blightman and Ed Atkins. It will be interesting to see how the artists incorporate the venue to the performance and an audience that is so present in this very exclusive endeavor.

September 28:  Exhibition Opening for Lee Bul: Crash

Gropius-Bau
September 29, 2018 – January 13, 2019

Gropius-Bau keeps its trajectory of bringing to Berlin exciting and highly laborious exhibitions. Earlier this year, Stephanie Rosenthal, former chief curator of London’s Hayward Gallery, arrived as the new director, and with her a structured programme around installation, participation and different configurations to question how an exhibition can look and feel. The Philippe Parreno exhibition this summer was a great example, and Lee Bul’s promises to not be any less exciting.

The show is curated by Rosenthal herself and it is a collaboration with the Hayward Gallery, most likely we will see the same works in Berlin, but the Hayward with its stark brutalist features is very different from the late 19th century neo-renaissance building that houses Gropius-Bau offering definitely a new experience to Bul’s works even for those that might have seen the exhibition in London.

September 29: Exhibition Tour of Arthur Jafa: A series of utterly improbable, yet extraordinary renditions

Featuring Ming Smith, Frida Orupabo and Missylanyus
Julia Stoschek Collection
February 11, 2018 – December 16, 2018

For Berlin Art Week the Julia Stoschek Collection will be open with extra hours and guided tours, although the show has been up since February due to limited opening times (week-ends afternoons) it is true that it might be difficult for Berlin’s visitors to find time to see the show.

The exhibition, curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist, tackles urgent discussions of identity politics, race and pop culture. Jafa’s extensive collection of images, videos e music spans for more than 30 years creating an almost inexhaustible source of what black culture is portrayed and perceived. Video clips, old television footage and social media clips share the same space allowing visitors to explore this material in very unusual intercalations. The exhibition highlights the importance of knowing not only the stories being told but how they are told and by whom.

September 30: Benefit Auction Haus am Waldsee

Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 3 p.m.
Preview: 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Registration: from 11:00 a.m.

Catalogue available at https://hausamwaldsee.de/images/Katalog-Benefizauktion.pdf

During the final day of Berlin Art Week, Haus am Waldsee is organising a benefit auction to raise funds for their new workshop and events area, plus new light and sound systems for their recently renovated exhibition space. The event is organised in partnership with one of Christie’s specialists and offers seventy lots of works by Berlin-based artists that together offer a great selection for contemporary art enthusiasts. Highlights include works by Norbert Bisky, Frank Nitsche, Julian Rosefeldt and Claus Rottenbacher.

Berlin Art Week offers a multifaceted range of events, for the complete list, do visit http://www.berlinartweek.de and if you would like a bespoke art tour for this and future events in Berlin, please, do get in contact with us to find out more.