Berlin's Art Scene: Gentrification, Biennale, and the City's Transformation
The 9th Berlin Biennale, set to launch in June at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and curated by DIS (Lauren Boyle, Solomon Chase, Marco Roso, David Toro), marks a shift in Berlin's art landscape. Gabriele Horn, the director, emphasizes that the event will feature an online component and explore commercial aesthetics. As industrial spaces transform into studios, gentrification forces artists to relocate to more affordable neighborhoods like Oberschöneweide and Wedding. The closure of Kunsthaus Tacheles in 2012 and the overshadowing of the East Side Gallery by new constructions highlight these changes. The Humboldt-Forum is expected to finish in 2019, and the Neue Nationalgalerie will reopen post-renovation. Meanwhile, the KW Institute prioritizes experimental programming, and Kulturwerk BBK provides support for 830 subsidized studios, ensuring Berlin remains a vibrant hub for global artists.
Key facts
- 9th Berlin Biennale curated by DIS collective opens June at KW Institute
- KW Institute founded early 1990s by Klaus Biesenbach
- St. Agnes church converted into König Galerie in 2015
- Humboldt-Forum reconstruction of Berliner Stadtschloss to complete in 2019
- Neue Nationalgalerie closed since January 2015 for renovations by David Chipperfield
- Kunsthaus Tacheles closed in 2012 after purchase by Perella Weinberg Real Estate
- Kulturwerk BBK provides 830 subsidized artist studios
- Schöneweide Kreativ network funded by European Social Fund
Entities
Artists
- Angela Bulloch
- Olafur Eliasson
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Candice Breitz
- Jeppe Hein
- Daniel Richter
- Eberhard Havekost
- Daniel Pflumm
- Przemek Pyszczek
- Katharina Grosse
- Jonathan Meese
- Mika Andersen
- Wolfgang Ganter
- Käthe Kollwitz
- George Grosz
- Anselm Kiefer
- Joseph Beuys
- Bryan Adams
- Christopher Isherwood
- Klaus Biesenbach
- Johann König
- Gabriele Horn
- Gregor Hose
- Heiner Bastian
- Erich Marx
- David Chipperfield
- Mies van der Rohe
- Werner Düttmann
- Mareike Lemme
- Marlene Lerch
- Lauren Boyle
- Solomon Chase
- Marco Roso
- David Toro
- Klaus Wowereit
Institutions
- KW Institute for Contemporary Art
- Berlin Biennale
- König Galerie
- Kulturwerk BBK
- St. Agnes
- Humboldt-Forum
- Berliner Stadtschloss
- Neue Nationalgalerie
- Kunsthaus Tacheles
- East Side Gallery
- O2 Arena
- Mercedes building
- Uferhallen
- LPP (Berlin public transport)
- Perella Weinberg Real Estate
- Axel Haubrok foundation
- Kindl brewery
- Schöneweide Kreativ
- European Social Fund
- Kunst Am Spreeknie
- Kiki Blofeld
- Kunstfabrik am Flutgraben
- Funkhaus
- Humboldt-Box
- Bastian collection
- CFA Gallery
- New York University
- Green Box publishers
- Robertneun architecture
- Praxes art institute
- Agnes café
- Brücke
- Bauhaus
- Die Brücke
- Neue Secession
- Berlin Secession
- Junge Wilde
- Rolling Stone
- Artribune
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Neukölln
- Donaustrasse 83
- Hobrechtstrasse 31
- Charlottenburg
- Friedrichshain
- Oberschöneweide
- Wedding
- Kreuzberg
- Mitte
- Prenzlauer Berg
- Britz
- Lichtenberg
- Schöneberg
- Ephraim-Palais
- Museumsinsel
- Hamburger Bahnhof
- Gropiusstadt
- Berghein
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Istanbul
- Paris
- London
- Munich
- Frankfurt