Berlin Museums Reopen with Social Distancing, Featuring Lee Mingwei's Intimate Exhibition at Gropius Bau

Berlin's art institutions began reopening from 4 May 2020 with new COVID-19 safety protocols. Gropius Bau director Stephanie Rosenthal explained the museum reopened on 11 May after government approval, initially welcoming about 200 visitors daily compared to 1,000 pre-pandemic. The museum currently hosts Lee Mingwei's exhibition '禮 Li, Gifts and Rituals' featuring works like The Mending Project (2009), Our Labyrinth (2006), and Guernica in Sand (2006/2020). Safety measures include mandatory masks for staff, 1.5-meter distancing, timed entry slots, hand sanitizer stations, and directional floor arrows. Some interactive elements were modified—The Dining Project (1998) now occurs via Zoom, and Sonic Blossom (2013) includes protective plexiglass for performers. Other Berlin museums like Gemäldegalerie (showing Raphael's Madonnas) and Berlinische Galerie (featuring Bettina Pousttchi) also reopened with reduced capacity. Kunst-Werke plans to reopen on 30 May. Visitor numbers remain low as many Berliners remain cautious, creating an unusually intimate museum experience without tourist crowds. The reopening serves as a test case for how institutions worldwide might handle interactive exhibitions during the pandemic.