Berlin Art Week 2022

Aug. 5, 2022

Returning for its 11th installment, Berlin Art Week is once again inviting art lovers from all across the world to gather for five days and celebrate the diversity and potential of Berlin’s art scene. Running from September 14th to 18th, 50 cultural spaces will open their doors and present an array of artistic events; from photography exhibitions by unconventional curators such as Tilda Swinton to works by Berlin Art Prize nominees, this year’s selection will be nothing short of sensational.

Of particular note this year is a Mona Hatoum three-part exhibition spread across n.b.k., Kesselhaus at KINDL and Georg Kolbe Museum. Curated by Marius Babias, Kathrin Becker and Julia Wallner, the exhibition will be the first large-scale survey of her work in Germany. With focuses ranging from the physical and psychological traces of structural repression, to the human body as objectified material, Hatoum’s works will respond and adapt into their respective environments, utilising the spaces to their full capacity.

Another exhibition to look forward to is C/O Berlin’s ‘Queerness in Photography.’ Running from September 17th until January 18th, three complementary exhibitions on the representation of identity, gender, and sexual orientation will celebrate the complex visual panorama of queer identity. ‘Undercover. A Secret History of Cross-Dressers’—a collection by French director and screenwriter Sébastien Lifshitz—will offer an insight into the tradition of cross-dressing between 1880 and the end of the 20th century. Meanwhile Cindy Sherman’s ‘Cindy Sherman. Performance and Casa Susanna’ has used archive materials from the 1960s and 70s, and those found in the Lifshitz Collection, to explore what happens when a woman artist presents herself in the role of a homosexual drag queen. The third highlight at C/O Berlin is an exhibit curated by Tilda Swinton. Using her gender nonconforming leading role in the 1992 award-winning film ‘Orlando’ as a model and point of departure, the award-winning actress will curate a show that features 11 contemporary photographers who each present a current reading of queerness and gender fluidity.

Opening for the occasion of Berlin Art Week, the Wilhelm Hallen in Reinickendorf will host the group exhibition K60 where 15 Berlin galleries will present their works under the title ‘Hallen#3.’ Galleries participating this year are Alexander Levy, Carlier Gebauer, ChertLüdde, Efremidis, Esther Schipper, Helga-Maria Klosterfelde, HUA International, Klemm’s, Mehdi Chouakri, Neugerriemschneider, Nome, PSM, Soy Capitán, Sprüth Magers and Sweetwater. The industrial site will be transformed into a centre for the creative industry, transforming it into a place that promotes networking across disciplines and offering a kaleidoscopic view of Berlin’s art scene.

Beginning in September and running until October 14th, the nine Berlin Art Prize nominees will be showcasing their works across various project spaces and cultural institutions. Culminating on September 15th, the winner will be announced during the award ceremony at ACUD CLUB. Also celebrating the project spaces of Berlin, the Project Space Award will be presented during Art Week. Shortlisted project rooms include Archive Kabinett, Art-Lab Berlin im iPhonedoctor, Videoart at Midnight, Hopscotch Reading Room, Sox Berlin, Stations and TV Bar.

Other not to be missed shows include the Picasso retrospective at ngbk, Leila Hekmat’s first institutional exhibition at Haus am Waldsee and the Sommerfest music series at the Haubrok Foundation, in addition to many more which can be found on the official programme. To supplement your Berlin Art Week experience, keep your eyes peeled for our exhibition hit list, as well as our
hotel and restaurant guide to keep you well and rested in between gallery stops.