Schloss Bellevue to Host Pop-Up Art Exhibition Before Renovation

Before undergoing an eight-year renovation, Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will host a two-week pop-up exhibition organized by the Akademie der Künste. The exhibition runs from June 13 to 28, featuring works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Monica Bonvicini. The building must be emptied prior to renovation, allowing the president to temporarily make the spaces available for art. The renovation of the palace and the adjacent Bundespräsidialamt is expected to cost at least 600 million euros. Steinmeier and his staff are scheduled to move out before the summer break. Free timed-entry tickets will be available from May 18 on the Akademie's website. The Akademie noted that Schloss Bellevue, as the seat of the head of state, is a symbol of liberal democracy and not a neutral exhibition space; the artworks will be deliberately placed in a tense relationship with the site's political symbolism.