Savvy Contemporary Wins Art Basel Award but Struggles Without Funding

Berlin's Savvy Contemporary, a nonprofit art space founded in 2009, has been awarded the 2024 Art Basel Award in the 'Museums and Institutions' category, the only German institution to receive the honor. The jury, led by Art Basel director Vincenzo de Bellis, cited the space's visionary thinking, innovative execution, engagement with urgent contemporary issues, and broad cultural impact. Despite the recognition, Savvy has not been able to open a single exhibition in 2024 due to lack of funding. Directors Lema Sikod and Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock explain that none of their project proposals received grants, leaving them without the resources to mount shows. The space operates as a registered association with no reserves, relying on project-based and volunteer labor. They see their struggles as part of a broader trend: the dismantling of social, civil, and cultural structures in Berlin, Germany, and internationally, driven by rising right-wing and authoritarian forces. The AfD's rejection of anti-racist and decolonial perspectives has been adopted by mainstream actors, making their work harder. Savvy was founded to create space for postcolonial discourse when their concepts were dismissed as 'African art' rather than contemporary art. Over 15 years, they have built a platform for critical dialogue, but now face a climate where colonial continuities are treated as a passing trend. Sikod and Balatbat-Helbock remain defiant, seeing their survival as a success despite the obstacles.