Freiraum Kunst at Schloss Bellevue: A Missed Opportunity for Democratic Discourse

The two-week exhibition 'Freiraum Kunst' at Schloss Bellevue, curated by Anh-Linh Ngo, Cécile Wajsbrot, and Manos Tsangaris for the Akademie der Künste, opened on June 13, 2026, with a speech by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Despite its theme of democratic resilience, the show is criticized for avoiding challenging government cultural policy. Works include El Bocho's 'Die Bundespräsidentin' (2026), Alexandra Bircken's 'Trolley I mit Eva' (2026), Monica Bonvicini's 'Hard String' (2017), Boris Mikhailov's 'mother and baby, Crimea, Ukraine' (1990), Gregor Schneider's 'Geburtshaus Goebbels' (2014), Jürgen Böttcher's 'Die Mauer' (1990), and Jochen Gerz's 'Rufen bis zur Erschöpfung' (1972). The exhibition ends with Bjørn Melhus' 'SOS Signal – in der Dunkelheit erstahlt ein Licht' (2021/2026), flashing Morse code nightly. Critics note the absence of Palestinian and Jewish voices, such as Candice Breitz and Mona Hatoum, and lack of biting political critique. The show runs until June 28, 2026, at Spreeweg 1, 10557 Berlin, and is fully booked.