13th Berlin Biennale 'passing the fugitive' Closes September 13, 2025
The 13th Berlin Biennale, under the title 'passing the fugitive' and curated by Zasha Colah and Valentina Viviani, will conclude on September 13, 2025. This exhibition delves into the theme of fugitivity, drawing inspiration from the city's fox population and employing the term 'foxing' to characterize artworks that escape regulation. Hosted across four locations—KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Sophiensæle, Hamburger Bahnhof, and a former courthouse in Moabit—it showcases commissions from artists hailing from oppressive regimes, including Myanmar and Sudan. Highlights include Anna Scalfi Eghenter's installation related to Karl Liebknecht's trial, Milica Tomić's commentary on the Srebrenica massacre, and Anawana Haloba's speaker-sculptures. The biennial aims to reveal conflict rather than suppress it.
Key facts
- 13th Berlin Biennale titled 'passing the fugitive' curated by Zasha Colah with Valentina Viviani closes September 13, 2025
- Concept inspired by Berlin foxes; curatorial verb 'foxing' describes works evading control
- Four venues: KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Sophiensæle, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, former courthouse at Lehrter Straße in Moabit
- Many commissions from artists in Myanmar, Northeast India, Argentina, Sudan, Kazakhstan
- Anna Scalfi Eghenter's 'Die Komödie!' at Lehrter Straße references Karl Liebknecht's 1916 trial
- Exterra XX – Künstlerinnengruppe Erfurt, feminist collective active 1984–1994 in GDR, led by Gabriele Stötzer
- Milica Tomić addresses Srebrenica massacre
- Bana Group for Peace and Development organizes People's Tribunal for Sudanese women activists
- Stacy Douglas transforms courthouse into Kafkaesque stage
- Anawana Haloba's speaker-sculptures give voice to southern African women
- Kikì Roca uses monumental bra to address post-dictatorship Argentina
- Lanna Action for Burma (LAB) 'Panties for Peace' project sends panties to Burmese embassies
- Italian artists: Margherita Moscardini, Armin Linke, Mila Panić
- Han Bing walks cabbage as pet in Berlin
- Htein Lin & Chaw Ei Thein show videos from political detention in Myanmar
- Piero Gilardi's carnival figures revived
- Gabriel Alarcón's retablos demand land restitution for Andean peoples
- Larissa Araz draws foxes and deer with scientific names censored by Turkish government
Entities
Artists
- Zasha Colah
- Valentina Viviani
- Anna Scalfi Eghenter
- Karl Liebknecht
- Gabriele Stötzer
- Milica Tomić
- Stacy Douglas
- Anawana Haloba
- Kikì Roca
- Margherita Moscardini
- Armin Linke
- Mila Panić
- Han Bing
- Htein Lin
- Chaw Ei Thein
- Piero Gilardi
- Gabriel Alarcón
- Larissa Araz
- Kate Sutton
- Major Nom
Institutions
- Berlin Biennale
- KW Institute for Contemporary Art
- Sophiensæle
- Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
- Exterra XX – Künstlerinnengruppe Erfurt
- Bana Group for Peace and Development
- Lanna Action for Burma (LAB)
- Akademia Ruchu
- Artribune
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Moabit
- Lehrter Straße
- Myanmar
- Northeast India
- Argentina
- Sudan
- Kazakhstan
- DDR (East Germany)
- Srebrenica
- Bosnia
- Turkey
- Andean peoples