Sept. 4, 2024
The 13th edition of Berlin Art Week, the city’s largest annual art event that attracts visitors from around the world to over 100 participating venues, takes place September 11th to 15th, 2024 with more than 300 events. This year, in addition to expert-led guided tours, you can explore the rich and diverse festival program at your own pace with curated routes, created by Berlin Art Link in collaboration with Berlin Art Week. Organized around neighborhoods for easy navigation, these routes spotlight must-see contemporary art venues, exhibitions and events, stretching from the city center to Berlin’s farthest corners. To keep you energized, we’ve also included our top picks for cafés and restaurants along the way. See an overview of each route below, and for a more detailed guide, be sure to visit Berlin Art Week’s website.
Contemporary Art in Berlin’s East
On this route, contemporary art meets the distinctive aesthetics of the former GDR. Start with galleries Capitain Petzel and Plan B on Karl-Marx-Allee, East Berlin’s grand socialist boulevard. Next, visit Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s ‘The Soul Station,’ an exhibition presented by LAS Art Foundation at Halle am Berghain. Unwind at Michelberger Restaurant or Café & Bar before heading East to FAHRBEREITSCHAFT in Lichtenberg, where the haubrok foundation showcases two exhibitions and a new sculpture garden, and hosts a summer festival on September 15th. Be sure to visit station urbaner kulturen / nGbK Hellersdorf, which shows photographs that capture scenes from the late GDR to the early 1990s. End your route at Achim Freyer’s retrospective at Schloss Biesdorf, where you can also relax at the in-house café.
Read the full route here.
nGbK Hellersdorf: Claus Bach, from the series ‘Kopfkörper,’ 1989
Discovering Dahlem’s Artistic Landscape
The leafy, residential Dahlem boasts a host of art venues with colorful histories, as well as architectural gems and expansive green spaces. A must-see in this district is Haus am Waldsee, a 1920s villa-turned-art center that presents Gisèle Vienne’s solo exhibition directed as a play. Here, you can also take a break at the sculpture garden or the in-house café before heading to Fluentum to see Calla Henkel and Max Pitegoff’s exhibition. A short stroll away, you’ll find Bastian Gallery showcasing Andreas Mühe’s new photographic works. For your final stop, go further south to The Kunsthaus of the Achim Freyer Foundation, a historic building housing over 2,300 pieces of Outsider Art, Naive Art and Art Brut, among others, as well as a changing display of up to 100 of Freyer’s recent works.
Read the full route here.
Calla Henkel & Max Pitegoff: ‘THEATER,’ 2024, performer Leilah Weinraub
Art and Aperitivo in the City Center
On September 13th, the vibrant area where Mitte meets Prenzlauer Berg will buzz with openings, parties and performances for Gallery Night by Gallery Weekend Berlin, making it the perfect time to explore. Start with the group exhibition on human-plant relationships at nGbk’s venue overlooking Alexanderplatz. Next, head to BQ for Ruth Nemet’s solo show and to the nearby Dittrich & Schlechtriem for Harry Nuriev’s immersive foam installation. Indulge in aperitivo at To The Bone restaurant on Torstraße before heading to neugerriemschneider to see Noa Eshkol’s textile artworks. At HOLON in Prenzlauer Berg, you’ll find Gretchen Andrew’s show presented in collaboration with the generative art platform fx(hash). Conclude the tour at Neun Kelche, where Theresa Weber’s exhibition opens in parallel with Gallery Night.
Read the full route here.
Noa Eshkol, ‘textile traces,’ installation view neugerriemschneider, Berlin // © The Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon, Israel. Courtesy The Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon, Israel, and neugerriemschneider, Berlin. Photo: Jens Ziehe, Berlin
An Art Journey Along the Spree
Reflecting recent efforts to make the Spree more accessible and clean, this route follows the river from Berlin’s key landmarks in the West to newly transformed art spaces in the East. Start with Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s (HKW) group exhibition that extends from the exhibition halls to Tiergarten and along the Spree. Grab a quick refreshment at HKW’s Weltwirtschaft before heading to the Red Salon of the Bauakademie, where Fluss Bad Berlin presents a group exhibition and auction in support of the Spree’s reconquest as a natural resource. Continue to Museum Island for KEWENIG’s group exhibition and to Die Möglichkeit einer Insel for their five-year anniversary show. In Kreuzberg, see Mark Barker’s survey show at Between Bridges and Ephra’s diverse program of workshops, exhibitions and interactive stations at Köpihaus. Savor a Mediterranean menu at the nearby Richard Bistro, or head directly to Reethaus in Lichtenberg for a meditative experience of the site-specific audiovisual installation by Ona Julija Lukas Steponaitytė, Iida Jonsson and Ssi Saarinen. Conclude your tour at MaHalla in Oberschöneweide, where a five-day art show and festival presents works by around 100 artists.
Read the full route here.
Fluss Bad Berlin: Annette Hauschild: ‘Fluss Bad Pokal,’ 2015/2022 // ©2015/2022 Annette Hauschild, Ostkreuz
Unconventional Art Venues in Berlin’s North
This route highlights art projects in industrial and other repurposed spaces of Berlin’s up-and -coming North. Start in Reinickendorf with WILHELM HALLEN’s art festival featuring exhibitions, events and culinary delights across 9,000 square meters of the former iron foundry. Next, head to Uferhallen in Wedding, where the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) presents artistic interventions that explore the area’s industrial roots. Nearby, visit Savvy Contemporary for a project on dance and movement, and Sinema Transtopia for evening programs by Ming Wong and Slavs and Tatars. In Moabit, Hamburger Bahnhof hosts a sound festival with performances by Lydia Lunch and Naama Tsabar. Relax at the adjacent Restaurant Konstantin before visiting three solo shows in the neighborhood: Esben Weile Kjær at Trauma Bar und Kino, Ella Litwitz at Alexander Levy and Francis Picabia at Levy Galerie. Conclude the tour with the newly reopened ZK/U—Center for Art and Urbanistics’ exhibition, events and late-night celebrations.
Read the full route here.
Naama Tsabar: ‘Estuaries,’ Hamburger Bahnhof, 2024, performance view, composed and performed by Julia Biłat, Gabriela Burdsall, Arone Dyer, Tatiana Heuman, Naïma Mazic, Rasha Nahas, Avishag Cohen Rodrigues, Sarah Strauss, Naama Tsabar // © Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Laura Fiorio
Art Spaces of Berlin’s Upscale West
Explore the prominent art spaces of upscale Berlin with this route from Tiergarten to the Olympiastadion. Begin with Tracey Snelling’s comprehensive solo exhibition at Haus am Lützowplatz in the gallery-packed Tiergarten district. At the Miettinen Collection—Salon Dahlmann in Charlottenburg, see Ola Kolehmainen’s new works in dialogue with the collection. Head to C/O Berlin for a group show featuring OSTKREUZ agency’s photographs of post-1989 Berlin, and solo shows of After Nature Prize 2024 winners Laura Huertas Millán and Sarker Protick. Nearby, Wentrup marks its 20th anniversary with a group exhibition, while Wentrup II showcases Desire Moheb-Zandi’s large sculptural tapestries. After visiting Kienzle Art Foundation’s 15th-anniversary group exhibition, indulge in refined German cuisine at Lovis Restaurant and Bar, or enjoy an elaborate menu at the artist-run pars Restaurant. Stop for a group exhibition at Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank, and finish the tour with works by Gisèle Vienne and European avant-garde women artists at Georg Kolbe Museum.
Read the full route here.
C/0 Berlin: Annette Hauschild: ‘Verhüllter Reichstag, letzte Nacht,’ Berlin, 1995 // © Annette Hauschild/OSTKREUZ; Christo & Jeanne-Claude: ‘Verhüllter Reichstag,’ Berlin, 1971–1995 // © Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2024
Exploring the Creative Heart of Mitte
From pop-up projects to blue-chip galleries, this route reflects the ever-evolving creative spirit of Mitte. Begin at Tieranatomisches Theater on Humboldt University’s North Campus, where Galerie Georg Nothelfer presents Jan-Peter E.R. Sonntag’s sound installation. Head to Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) for four exhibitions showcasing works by Yoko Ono, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Pamela Rosenkranz and Santiago Sierra. Nearby, Fotografiska Berlin features shows by Eli Cortiñas, Joanna Dudley, Josèfa Ntjam, Lukas Städler and Andy Warhol. Relax with a light bite and cocktail at Verōnika Restaurant and Bar before checking out Sara Ouhaddou’s work at ifa Galerie, KW Institute for Contemporary Art’s program of exhibitions and performances, and Kunst Raum Mitte’s inaugural show. As you stroll through the area, look for artworks “in the wild” as part of The Moment’s group exhibition split between a fifth-floor apartment and the public area around it. Conclude your tour at Sprüth Magers, where you can see works by Oliver Bak and John Baldessari.
Read the full route here.
Pamela Rosenkranz: ‘Our Product,’ 2015, installation view, Swiss Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale
Contemporary Art in Mitte’s Historic Venues
In the busy streets of Mitte, you can discover Berlin’s iconic art venues alongside lesser-known local favorites. Start at Akademie der Künste on Pariser Platz with an exhibition by Käthe Kollwitz Prize 2024 winner Candida Höfer, and follow it up with a visit to Sarah Ancelle Schönfeld’s experimental photo series at Schering Stiftung. At Palais Populaire, see works by Rohini Devasher, Deutsche Bank’s 2024 Artist of the Year, and relax at the in-house café LePopulaire before heading to Schinkel Pavillon’s exhibition of Sigmar Polke’s seminal works. A short commute brings you to Julia Stoschek Foundation, where a group exhibition explores haptic and multisensory art alongside Theodoulos Polyviou’s solo show. Across the street, KVOST presents works by Claus Michaletz Prize 2024 recipient Magdalena Ciemierkiewicz. Grab a quick snack at beets&roots on Potsdamer Platz before your final stop at Gropius Bau—host of ‘BAW Garten,’ Berlin Art Week’s central meeting point—featuring Rirkrit Tiravanija’s exhibition and an accompanying program.
Read the full route here.
Rirkrit Tiravanija: ‘mai mee chue 2004 (pad thai),’ 1990/2004, installation view, ‘Nothing: A Retrospective,’ Chiang Mai University Art Museum, 2004 // © Rirkrit Tiravanija, Courtesy: the artist
