48 Stunden Neukölln is back with Berlin’s largest festival of the arts this month from June 26 – 28. This year’s theme is ‘S.O.S. – Art saves the world’, not only serving as a metaphor for the state of art and society today, but also posing the question, “What can be accomplished through art?”. This question will be addressed in a number of ways over the coarse of the festival, from a section devoted to young artists, a musical boat shuttle on the Neukölln canal, and gallery exhibitions, to open studios, guided tours, and other accompanying events. The festival seeks to incorporate all forms of contemporary art in its 48-hour showcase of artistic innovation that goes far beyond the limits of the Berlin art scene.
Photo by Joerg Fischer, courtesy of 48 Stunden Neukölln
The festival will kick off on Friday, June 26th, in the central exhibition space at Neukölln Arcaden. Throughout the day there will be exhibitions and events going on throughout the city, such as an intervention staged by Nina Marxen, in which the public will paint a mural on the premises of “Blueberry Inn”, “S.O.S. Europe – Refugees report”, an interactive reading/exhibition with actress Magdalene Artelt, organized by Amnesty International, “RespAct”, a film project by the children at Richard Schule, in which they present their neighborhoods as they perceive them, “World Saves Art”, a project showcasing the paintings of Kirsten Kötter, which were painted by the artist during prayer time at the Sehitlik mosque, and “Liveboat – Chapter 5”, which consists of a stranded inflatable boat at Tempelhofer Feld and will feature refugee statements and quotes from Homer’s Odyssey in order to circulate discussion surrounding the ongoing topic of refugees.
These are only a few examples of the vast variety of events, exhibitions, and discussions that will take place during the jam-packed weekend of 48 Stunden Neukölln. Be sure to check out the full programme and list of locations to make a schedule for yourself, as there will be hundreds of artists and projects to see throughout the weekend. Visit the festival’s website for more information and head on over to Neukölln for 48 hours of art!
