Featured Events in Berlin in May 2024 (July Updated)

Experience the powerful fusion of Teratoma, Claustrum, and Ploutonion at Reset Club Berlin on May 26, 2024. Delve into the depths of Death Metal as these three bands take the stage in an electrifying performance that is not to be missed. The event will be held at the Reset Club, located at Wiener Straße 34, 10999 Berlin. Tickets are available for €13.96, offering an affordable opportunity to witness this unique musical journey. Immerse yourself in an evening of intense music and captivating energy as these bands showcase their distinctive sounds. Mark your calendar for this unforgettable concert experience in the heart of Berlin.

Experience a unique community gathering in Berlin at C-SPACE Berlin gGmbH on May 26, 2024, exploring the intriguing intersection of awe and loneliness. The event, named "The Surprising Match of Awe and Loneliness," offers an opportunity to delve into the shared experience of disconnection and the yearning for connection. Delve into how moments of awe can serve as a catalyst for meaningful connections amidst the challenges of modern loneliness. Engage in discussions on the science and impact of awe in fostering connections and driving positive change during times of personal and collective isolation. Participate in awe-based exercises to heighten sensory awareness and strengthen connection skills like empathy and active listening. Connect with diverse individuals, share perspectives, and immerse yourself in a program featuring movement, music, and enriching interactions. Led by Laura François, co-founder of Awe Exchange, and Monika Jiang, initiator of Sharing Our Loneliness, this event invites attendees to contribute a donation of 15 EUR to support the event's costs. Embrace the opportunity to explore unconventional approaches to addressing loneliness and cultivating awe within a welcoming community space.

Experience the vibrant monthly open mic at Vagabund Brauerei in Berlin's kiez of Wedding. This event embraces all forms of speech and languages, creating an inclusive platform for poets and storytellers. Please note that RSVPs do not guarantee performance slots. Sign up starts at 19:00, offering 5-minute and limited 10-minute slots. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of live storytelling and poetry, whether as a listener or a performer. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a community that celebrates writers of all skill levels. Come to share your work, appreciate others' creations, and mingle with like-minded individuals. Mark your calendar for the next gathering on May 27, 2024. Admission is by donation only. Join this intimate event and be inspired by the magic of words and creativity at Read Wedding: Berlin Open Mic for Poetry & Storytelling.

If you're in Berlin and looking for a night of laughter, Fabelhaft Comedy: Stand-Up Comedy in Berlin Mitte is the event for you. Hosted at Z-Bar on Bergstraße 2, 10115 Berlin, this comedic extravaganza is set to take place on May 27, 2024. The best part? Admission is absolutely free, so you can enjoy a night of hilarity without breaking the bank. With a lineup of talented comedians ready to tickle your funny bone, this event promises to be an evening to remember. So mark your calendars, gather your friends, and head over to Fabelhaft Comedy: Stand-Up Comedy in Berlin Mitte for a night of side-splitting entertainment. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to unwind and enjoy the best that Berlin's comedy scene has to offer.

The Altenheim Expo 2024 is a strategic congress tailored for operators, planners, and investors in the retirement home sector. Held in Berlin at the Estrel Berlin venue, this event will provide an immersive experience filled with cutting-edge topics, new concepts, pioneering projects, and pointed discussions. With its focus on the future of retirement homes, the expo offers a platform for networking and collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, exchange ideas, and establish valuable connections. From May 28th to May 29th, 2024, the Altenheim Expo 2024 will bring together experts in the field to explore the latest trends and developments in the industry. With its strategic location in Berlin, attendees can expect an environment that fosters productive conversations and facilitates successful networking. This event promises to be a valuable opportunity for those involved in the retirement home sector to stay ahead of the curve and gain insights into the future of this rapidly evolving industry. Plan to be a part of the Altenheim Expo 2024 and join the conversation that will shape the future of retirement homes.

Experience English stand-up comedy at Beer 'n Mic, hosted at the renowned Das Gift in Neukölln, Berlin. Showcasing a lineup of eight talented international comedians every Wednesday at 8 PM, this event guarantees an evening filled with laughter and entertainment. With a Google rating of 5.0/5.0 based on 130+ reviews, Beer 'n Mic has received rave feedback from attendees worldwide. The cozy ambiance, top-notch craft beer, and hilarious performances make it a must-visit spot in the city. Join us on May 29, 2024, for a special edition of Beer 'n Mic at Das Gift, located at Donaustraße 119. Doors open at 7:30 PM, and the show kicks off at 8:00 PM. Entry is free, with seat reservations required. At the end of the show, guests can pay what they feel is appropriate, typically around €10-15. This unique concept ensures that guests can enjoy a fantastic evening of comedy while supporting the talented artists on stage. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience of laughter and fun in the heart of Berlin!

Metzger Therapie is proud to present an extraordinary arts event in Berlin on May 30, 2024. Titled "Hate & Merda - IOCI - Acid Arno," this unique gathering promises an immersive experience for attendees. The venue, located in the heart of Berlin, will set the stage for an evening filled with avant-garde performances and thought-provoking displays. With a ticket price of 11.83 €, guests can expect to be transported into a world where art and emotion collide. The collaboration between Hate & Merda, IOCI, and Acid Arno ensures a one-of-a-kind showcase that pushes boundaries and challenges perceptions. Don't miss this opportunity to witness creativity in its purest form. Mark your calendars and prepare to be captivated by Metzger Therapie Presents: Hate & Merda - IOCI - Acid Arno.

Metzger Therapie proudly presents a captivating arts event in Berlin: "Hate & Merda - IOCI - Acid Arno." This event is set to take place on May 30, 2024, at a prestigious venue in the heart of Berlin. The ticket price for this exclusive experience is 11,83 €. Immerse yourself in a world of creativity and innovation as you witness the unique blend of Hate & Merda, IOCI, and Acid Arno's artistic expressions. This event promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave a lasting impression on all attendees. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of something truly extraordinary. Mark your calendars and secure your tickets to Metzger Therapie Presents: Hate & Merda - IOCI - Acid Arno.

Experience the unique performance of "Die 2fach Blinden (Les deux aveugles)" at Brotfabrik in Berlin. This comical short opera delves into the concept of altruism as a business model, following the story of a social capitalist in hiding and a homeless street musician vying for the best spot on a bridge to fleece tourists. As they compete, they realize their mutual responsibility for each other's plight, leading to a satirical exploration of their circumstances. Presented in a new German adaptation by Jan Rymon and Kundry Rymon, with musical arrangements by Tristan Breitenbach, this musical burlesque by Jules Moinaux and Jacques Offenbach promises a blend of disrespect, jazz, and wit. Produced by students from Berlin's Hochschule für Musik, Universität der Künste, Jazz-Institut, and Filmuniversität Babelsberg, this event on May 30, 2024, offers tickets priced between €11.15 and €16.35.

Witness the excitement of the 38th Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften Para Swimming at the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark (SSE) in Berlin from May 30 to June 2, 2024. Over 500 talented athletes from 50 nations will gather for this prestigious event, marking one of the final major championships before Paris 2024. Prepare to be enthralled by top-tier sportsmanship as competitors vie for qualification to the Games, shatter records, and achieve personal bests. Find all essential details about the IDM Schwimmen, including the event schedule, on the official website. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in world-class para swimming action. Secure your tickets now, priced between 8,48 € and 22,05 €.

Get ready to rock as ★DEATHCHANT★, ★LOVE YOUR WITCH★, and ★DANGER DOLLS★ are coming to Berlin! This thrilling event, presented by Fantasticore & Swamp Productions, promises to take you on a wild ride through the firmaments of rock'n'roll. Hailing all the way from LA, ★DEATHCHANT★ will be headlining the Cobblestone Casualties EU Tour, bringing their electrifying sound to Urban Spree on May 31st and June 1st. With their powerful and unforgettable performances, ★DEATHCHANT★ is a must-see for any rock music fan. Joining them on stage are the fierce and talented ★LOVE YOUR WITCH★, who will be returning to Berlin for one night only to shake the RAW venue with their explosive energy. And don't miss out on ★DANGER DOLLS★, the hard rock menace of Berlin's nights, who are sure to leave an indelible mark with their passionate performances. This event is a true celebration of rock'n'roll, capturing the excitement and nostalgia of the first time you heard your dad's favorite records. Organized by Urban Spree, Fantasticore Productions, Swamp Booking, and Riding Easy Records, this event is not to be missed. Get your tickets now for €17.17 and experience the magic of ★DEATHCHANT★, ★LOVE YOUR WITCH★, and ★DANGER DOLLS★ at Urban Spree in Berlin.

Experience THE ECCO Sessions, a unique celebration of sound and storytelling taking place at Engels in Berlin. This inaugural event will feature a captivating evening of collective listening, highlighting the creative audio works produced by the first cohort of THE ECCO initiative. A diverse group of podcast producers, audio artists, journalists, and writers have collaborated on crafting short audio pieces, stepping outside their comfort zones to share stories they've longed to tell or ideas previously unexplored. These works have been created not for commercial gain, but for the sheer joy of exploration. Prepare to immerse yourself in a blend of experimental audio art, traditional storytelling, and perhaps even a live performance. THE ECCO Sessions promises more than just a showcase; it is a vibrant community gathering that celebrates the art of audio storytelling. Doors open at 6:30 pm on May 31, 2024, with the show commencing at 7 pm and lasting approximately 2 hours. Following the event, festivities and enjoyment are bound to continue. Secure your ticket for 10.77 € and be part of this enriching experience. For additional information about THE ECCO, visit their website.

Experience an unforgettable evening at Pink Mario’s event, "Orion and Beyond", taking place in Berlin at the Märkisches Ufer 1z venue. Step aboard the historic ship Helene on the river Spree on May 31, 2024, for a night filled with cosmic music and dance. Pink Mario, also known as Lazlo Barclay, a prominent dream pop artist from Berlin, will treat guests to a captivating journey through space with interactive art, live performances, and eccentric alien-themed decorations. Immerse yourself in Pink Mario's unique sound, blending modern pop with experimental electronic music, featuring smooth vocals over pulsating synth and bass lines. Be part of this musical transmission from Earth to outer space, as Pink Mario gears up for the release of his debut album in late 2024. The event schedule includes an opening act at 7pm, followed by Pink Mario's live performance at 9pm, and a DJ set until late at 10.30pm. Tickets are available for €17.17. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited; reach out for assistance if needed. Get ready for a magical evening surrounded by great music and even better company aboard the charming ship Helene.

URBAN NATION presents TALKING… & OTHER BANANA SKINS, curated by Michelle Houston. The colorful and vibrant exhibition provokes dialogue through urban and contemporary art. The exhibition will function as a catalyst and serve as a host for discourse about the most pressing issues of our times. It presents a new facade commissioned by the internationally renowned collective BROKEN FINGAZ CREW from Israel (Haifa). The exhibition shows paintings, installations, sculptures and video works across the breadth of urban and contemporary art. Highlighted artists include ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (Berlin), ICY AND SOT (Tabriz/NY), VARIOUS AND GOULD (Berlin), JOSÉPHINE SAGNA (Hamburg) and LOW BROS (Hamburg). PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: 1UP, AEC INTERESNI KAZKI, AMARTEY GOLDING, ANA BARRIGA, ANDREAS ENGLUND, ANNA LUKASHEVSY, BILL POSTERS, BJÖRN HEYN, BROKEN FINGAZ CREW, DAVE THE CHIMP, DENIS CHERIM, DISNOVATION, EL MAC, FAISAL HUSSAIN, FAUST, FRANCO FASOLI AKA JAZ, HIJACK, HIN, HOT TEA, HUGO BAUDOUIN, HUH?, ICY AND SOT, IDA LAWRENCE, ISAAC CORDAL, JAN VAN ESCH, JEFF HONG, JIMMY TURRELL, JOSÉPHINE SAGNA, KNOW HOPE, LE FOU, LOOK THE WEIRD, LOW BROS, NOEMI CONAN, OLEK, RICH THORNE, ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS, SEPE, SIMON MENNER, SPLASH AND BURN, SPY, TEZZ KAMOEN, THE WA, VARIOUS AND GOULD, VERA KOCHUBEY, YOANN BOURGEOIS.

The Fourth Plinth is renowned across the globe for bringing world-class contemporary art to London’s most prominent historical public square and Antelope is the 14th commission since the programme of artworks began in 1998. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Samson Kambalu’s bronze resin sculpture restages a photograph of Baptist preacher and pan-Africanist John Chilembwe and European missionary John Chorley, taken in 1914 in Nyasayland (now Malawi) at the opening of Chilembwe’s new Baptist church. Chilembwe is wearing a hat, defying the colonial rule that forbade Africans from wearing hats in front of white people, and is almost twice the size of Chorley. By increasing his scale, the artist is elevating Chilembwe and his story, revealing the hidden narratives of underrepresented peoples in the history of the British Empire in Africa, and beyond. John Chilembwe was a Baptist pastor and educator who led an uprising in 1915 against British colonial rule in Nyasaland triggered by the mistreatment of refugees from Mozambique and the conscription to fight German troops during WWI. He was killed and his church destroyed by the colonial police. Though his rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, Malawi, which gained independence in 1964, celebrates John Chilembwe Day on January 15th and the uprising is viewed as the beginning of the Malawi independence struggle. The artist, Samson Kambalu, was born in 1975 in Malawi, and now lives and works in Oxford where he is Associate Professor of Fine Art and a lifelong fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford University. His sculpture, which was made in Deptford, was selected by the Fourth Plinth Commission Group, chaired by Ekow Eshun, following an exhibition at the National Gallery where nearly 17,500 people commented on the selection. For over two decades, The Fourth Plinth has showcased the work of great artists who have not shied away from tackling the important issues of the day. Yinka Shonibare CBE considered the legacy of British colonialism in Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle. Katharina Fritsch commented on gender equality and the masculine posturing in the square with her work Hahn/Cock. Michael Rakowitz’s recreation of the Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity that was destroyed in Nineveh (near modern day Mosul) in 2015 shone a light on the devastating impact of war on cultural heritage, and Heather Phillipson’s THE END presented a giant swirl of whipped cream, a cherry, a fly and a drone that transmits a live feed of Trafalgar Square, suggesting both exuberance and unease and responding to Trafalgar Square as a site of celebration and protest. Antelope will be on the Fourth Plinth until September 2024 and is a highlight of the inaugural Sculpture Week London, a new initiative that will celebrate public art throughout London in a collaboration between Frieze, Sculpture in the City and the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Programme. The Fourth Plinth is funded by the Mayor of London, Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies. It features on Bloomberg Connects, the free app that allows users to access over 100 museums, galleries, and cultural spaces around the world anytime, anywhere. Through the Fourth Plinth guide, users can access a range of exclusive content, including a video of Kambalu discussing the Fourth Plinth installation and his practice more broadly, information on past commissions and a welcome from Justine Simons OBE, London's Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries. Samson Kambalu said: “I am thrilled to have been invited to create a work for London’s most iconic public space, and to see John Chilembwe’s story elevated. Antelope on the Fourth Plinth was ever going to be a litmus test for how much I belong to British society as an African and a cosmopolitan. Chilembwe selected himself for the Fourth Plinth, as though he waited for this moment. He died in an uprising but ends up victorious.”

The Hamburger Bahnhof presents a multi-layered panorama of Berlin's art scene and the city itself, spanning from the threshold of the opening of the Berlin Wall through to the present. With the new presentation of the collection in the west wing, the Hamburger Bahnhof invites the public to reflect on the role of art and cultural institutions in fostering inclusion, engagement and social transformation. Some 80 artworks, including paintings, works on paper, sculptures, photographs and videos, explore the sociopolitical and economic factors that have shaped the city and the artistic practices to have emerged from within it. Sibylle Bergemann, Rainer Fetting, Isa Genzken, Mona Hatoum, Emeka Ogboh, Anri Sala, Selma Selman, Isaac Chong Wai and Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt are among the 60 artists included in the display. For the first time, the Nationalgalerie’s contemporary art holdings will enter into a long-term exchange with the art collection of the German Federal Government and the collection of the ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations. The exhibition will be further enriched by a selection of significant new acqui-sitions. Familiar major works will be shown alongside others that have rarely, if ever, been shown before.

More than 15 installations, sculptures and interventions have been set up in and around the Hamburger Bahnhof since it opened as a museum of contemporary art in 1996. These include Dan Flavin's striking blue and green light installation on the façade of the main building as well as works by Tom Fecht, Urs Fischer, John Knight and Gregor Schneider. Some of the works are more visible than others. The Endless Exhibition enables visitors to explore the artworks and to reflect on their relevance for the collection today – through public tours, a dedicated publication and website. Each year the Endless Exhibition will be expanded by a newly commissioned work of art that is to be permanently acquired for the collection of the Nationalgalerie. Berlin-based artist Judith Hopf, whose installation and sculptural work deals with social definitions and power relations, will kick off this important expansion of the collection.

The exhibition, Unbound: Performance as Rupture,addresses how over generations artists have used their bodies and the performative action recorded by the camera to intervene in and refuse dominant ideological orders and the colonial gaze perpetuated by the camera. Setting collection works in dialogue with loans, Unbound brings together seminal videos, films, and photographs from the 1970s to today that through performance afford various forms of rupture, fracture, and pause, which resonate on aesthetic as well as social and political levels. In addition to performance documentation and performance-for-the-camera, the exhibited artworks offer investigations into contemporary image and performance economies that examine how bodies move across or evade physical and digital spaces. With works by Panteha Abareshi, Eleanor Antin, Salim Bayri, Nao Bustamante, Matt Calderwood, Peter Campus, Patty Chang, Julien Creuzet, Vaginal Davis, Ufuoma Essi, VALIE EXPORT, Shuruq Harb, Sanja Iveković, Stanya Kahn, Tarek Lakhrissi, Klara Lidén, Senga Nengudi, Lydia Ourahmane, Christelle Oyiri, P. Staff, Sondra Perry, Howardena Pindell, Pope.L, mandla & Graham Clayton-Chance, Katharina Sieverding, Akeem Smith, Gwenn Thomas.

This exhibition recognizes the complex oeuvre of VALIE EXPORT (b. 1940), one of the twentieth century’s most influential media and performance artists in the world, who intrepidly challenged social norms and role models with her media-reflective practice and critical feminist perspective. Presenting works created between 1966 and 2009, the exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of VALIE EXPORT’s career. A filmmaker, performance artist, and media artist who is now celebrated as an icon of feminist art, EXPORT caused a sensation with her actions in public space in the late 1960s. The retrospective covers a wide range of works from her provocative “expanded cinema” actions, symbolic performances, and analytical conceptual photography to multimedia installations and urban interventions. The works reflect the multifaced development of an artist whose works are still topical and serve as important points of reference for sociopolitical investigations today.

At first glance, one can make out a bizarre face carved in wood. But there is far more hidden behind the narrow opening depicting a mouth: it is the entrance to the fascinating world of bees. What we see is one of only a few extant Bannkörbe – beehives made from organic materials including wood, straw, and cow manure. This unique form of beehive and craftsmanship was prevalent in northern Germany between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. These hives, each one of a kind, are characterized by their grotesque masks, which were intended to ward off the “evil eye” and honey thieves. Within the field of bee research, they reflect the belief in magic and thus provide an alternative model to the dominant concepts of “modern” beekeeping, which often seeks to use modern technology to achieve productivity, profitability, and control over bees. In his extended research project Bannkörbe, Aladin Borioli (b. 1988, Switzerland) works with bee researchers, scientists, collectors, and apiarists, using artistic research to explore the sociohistorical, political, and ecological relationship between humans and all species of bees. This is one of many subprojects of Apian, a collaborative entity Borioli initiated, intended as an ever-expanding and ongoing archive that operates as a “ministry of bees”. The multimedia project Bannkörbe will be presented in an exhibition space for the first time at C/O Berlin. The multipart exhibition is divided across a number of stations that shed light on the concept of the beehive, ancient beliefs about bees, and fascinating techno-logical possibilities to implement alternative beekeeping methods. The exhibition comprises artworks by Borioli, a catalogue of photographs featuring previously unpublished images of Bannkörbe, and a corpus of archival and research material from bee studies and cultural history can be explored. A video installation in a separate room lets visitors experience a “modern” beehive firsthand from the inside, and an interactive research area invites them to delve deeper into the topics. In his practice, Borioli works at the intersection of art and science and of photography, philosophy, and field research. His approach is meticulous and inspired, working in the tradition of visual anthropology. The artist’s collaborative approach creates an unusual synergy between partners, disciplines, and approaches, enabling new ways of thinking about bees and – where possible and compatible with ethical guidelines – seeing from the bees’ perspective. In light of the alarming death of bees over the past decades, the exhibition Aladin Borioli . Bannkörbe is an attempt to anchor the topic of sustainable beekeeping practices in our present moment and to encourage a more active caring for bees.

"On Rape – And Institutional Failure" uses an assemblage of found and original photographs, reports, quotations, videos, and artifacts to explore the structures that make rape possible. Working across temporal periods, cultural practices, and media, Abril reveals the normalization of misogynist attitudes and behaviors in society and politics but does not resort to explicit depictions of sexualized violence. A 2018 case of rape in Spain occasioned Abril's investigation. Occurring at the height of the #MeToo movement, the incident set off country-wide protests. Five men brutally raped a young woman and were later released on bail. When they were ultimately charged, it was not for rape, but merely for sexual harassment, which carries a lighter sentence. Against the backdrop of protests against a flawed system hostile to women, Abril explores why institutional failures on this scale occur, and how traditional assumptions, cultural influences, myths, and laws serve to shield perpetrators by reinforcing power dynamics and dependent relationships. On Rape – And Institutional Failure is the second chapter in the artist's long-term project A History of Misogyny, in which she responds to manifold forms of systemic violence against women. Abril succeeds in allowing a deep empathy for victims of sexualized violence while inviting viewers to consider the complex relationship between experience, image, and language, as well as the limits of depicting trauma. The artist uses a moving political narrative to counter the feeling of silencing often experienced around the subject while simultaneously appealing to society’s sense of responsibility. Abril's research-based practice makes her one of the most important next-generation artists working with archives, written testimonies, and original photographs today. She uses multilayered narratives to make visible complex and suppressed taboo themes today. C/O Berlin presents the artist's first institutional solo exhibition in Germany in Collaboration with Les Filles du Calvaire, Paris.

Jenna Bliss uses research and intuitive associations in her artistic work to sift through personal and collective memories, question common assumptions and expand established narratives. Her focus is often on historically marginalized topics, ranging from addiction and the pharmaceutical industry to the consequences of 9/11 and the global economic crisis. Her long-format films, photographs, short videos and sculptures are motivated by impressions, encounters and observations in her daily life and their far-reaching associations with social conventions and historical contexts. For her first institutional exhibition in Germany, Bliss is showing works from her ongoing series on the recent history of Wall Street, to which she has added a new chapter on the global economic crisis of 2008. The new film, True Entertainment (2023), is set in 2007 at the world’s most prestigious art fair. The art world booms within the three white walls of the fair booth, ignorant of the financial crash that is soon to come. The film takes its cues from a new cultural contribution of the later 00s: the scripted “reality” show. The genre not only informs the film stylistically, but also provides a simultaneously seductive and alienating effect, teetering between drama and satire. The film is shown alongside a constellation of older works that explore the legacy of 9/11. Though at times anachronous, Bliss borrows aesthetics and technologies from the time periods of her research. Through the montage of found, archival and original footage, both in terms of text and image, Bliss elicits the material’s inherent ideologies and exposes historical connections.

School of Casablanca ist ein Kooperationsprojekt zwischen der ifa-Galerie Berlin, KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Berlin) und ThinkArt (Casablanca), das von der Sharjah Art Foundation, dem Goethe-Institut Marokko und Zamân Books & Curating unterstützt wurde. Gestartet im Jahr 2020, greift das Projekt die innovativen Ansätze der Kunsthochschule Casablanca aus den 1960er Jahren auf und beleuchtet einen entscheidenden Wendepunkt in der marokkanischen Kunstgeschichte nach der Unabhängigkeit von 1956. In dieser Zeit entwickelte Casablanca ein völlig neues Selbstverständnis und brach radikal mit Traditionen. Eine tragende Rolle spielte bei dieser Entwicklung die Kunsthochschule Casablanca mit ihren modernen Ansätzen, künstlerischen Ideen und pädagogischen Methoden. Sie griff unter anderem auf das Bauhaus-Manifest aus dem Jahr 1919 von Walter Gropius zurück und wurde zu einem wegweisenden Forum. School of Casablanca knüpft an die Ideen, Traditionen und Fragestellungen der Casablanca Art School an und verankert sie im Heute und im zeitgenössischen Denken. Auch im einundzwan- zigsten Jahrhundert stellt sich die Frage, wie die Rolle und die Bedeutung von Kunst und Design in der Gesellschaft neu gefasst werden können. Welche Institutionen, Kunst- und Designhochschulen, welche Praktiken und Lernformen brauchen wir gegenwärtig? Wie produzieren wir Wissen und wie teilen wir es? Was ist ein kollektiver Lernprozess? Das Projekt startete 2020 mit einem Residenzprogramm: In den vergangenen Jahren haben die eingeladenen Teilnehmer:innen – Künstler:innen, Designer:innen, Kurator:innen und unabhängige Wissenschaftler:innen – an dem Ausstellungsprojekt School of Casablanca in Casablanca geforscht und gearbeitet. Sie überdachten dabei die gesellschaftliche Funktion und Sichtbarkeit von Kunst im öffentlichen Raum und vermittelten in Workshops, Diskussionsveranstaltungen, Stadtspaziergängen und Interventionen ihre kulturellen Praktiken in die Stadtöffentlichkeit. Im November 2023 folgte eine Ausstellung in Casablanca an fünf Orten. Mit der gleichnamigen Ausstellung School of Casablanca in der ifa-Galerie Berlin wird das Konzept und Projekt nach Berlin zurückgespielt. Die Ausstellung stellt einen Dialog zwischen den von den Kooperationspartner:innen in Auftrag gegebenen Arbeiten und den umfangreich recherchierten Archivmaterialien her, agiert in der Gegenwart und reflektiert gleichzeitig die Vergangenheit.

The photographs on view from the François Pinault Collection ‒ covering the genres of portraits, fashion, still lifes, architecture and photojournalism ‒ span from 1910 to the late 1970s and include works from the renowned Condé Nast Archive. Arranged chronologically, they serve as examples of developments in fashion history and mirror radical social changes in the Western world.

Hans Uhlmann's (1900–1975) abstract metal sculptures and drawings shaped the image of German post-war modernism. Imprisoned by the National Socialists in 1933, he designed sketches of delicate wire heads in prison, which he realized after his release. After 1945, the engineer graduate decided to only work as an artist. In the 1950s he increasingly developed the figurative forms into constructivist compositions. Uhlmann realizes large-scale projects in public spaces such as the sculptures in front of the Deutsche Oper and in the Hansaviertel. He exhibits in numerous galleries in West Berlin and, as a curator, also becomes a promoter of modern and contemporary art. Nevertheless, Uhlmann's drawings and sculptures are still largely unknown to a wider audience. The exhibition traces his creative periods from the 1930s to the 1970s. Using around 80 works - sculptures, drawings, photographs and archive material - she also examines his role as a curator, university teacher and networker in post-war West Berlin. It is the first comprehensive retrospective in more than 50 years.

The Kotti-Shop/SuperFuture collective runs an art and project space on the ground floor of the New Kreuzberg Center at Kottbusser Tor. Julia Brunner and Stefan Endewardt have established an artistic practice there in close exchange with their neighbors. The focus is on design processes in the urban environment as well as spending time together. The projects include playground planning as a community task, collage-based coffee drinking and large-format outdoor installations. Kotti-Shop/SuperFuture present their working methods in the Berlinische Galerie. They go beyond the approach of urban development in dialogue, which has often degenerated into empty phrases. Rather, they value the diversity of neighborhoods, understand public space as a common asset worthy of protection, and promote collaborative processes of negotiation and design. The expansive installation in the Berlinische Galerie shows collective art production and its framework conditions. And last but not least, all visitors can practice the art of lingering. As part of the exhibition, events and workshops with Kotti-Shop/SuperFuture will take place.

Where humans build, nature is destroyed. This dilemma is becoming increasingly clear in view of finite resources and the enormous contribution that construction contributes to global warming. Three Berlin projects show how opponents can become teammates. To do this, interdisciplinary teams rely on the potential of mushrooms, trees and clay using the latest technologies. Your buildings gain an ecological quality from the green materials, but also a completely new character: they breathe, grow and therefore come to life themselves. The surprisingly sensual experience of this architecture creates a conscious relationship with our environment and can therefore have a lasting effect that goes beyond the material. In the exhibition, expansive installations make this tangible. In addition, sketches, plans, photographs and models explain the three approaches and designs for a future-oriented building culture.

Moreover, due to the proprietary nature of much corporate tech, even the most curious among us cannot gain deeper insight. Today, we are forced to come to terms with our relative lack of power in the face of inscrutable systems. What symptoms of this personal and political drama register in the cultural field? What moods, symbols, or narrative frames capture the aesthetics and politics of exclusion, occlusion, secrecy, and speculation concerning technology’s inside? This extensive group exhibition at KW builds upon the recent book by Nadim Samman titled Poetics of Encryption: Art and the Technocene. It surveys an imaginative landscape marked by Black Sites, Black Boxes, and Black Holes—terms that indicate how technical systems capture users, how they work in stealth, and how they distort cultural space-time. These themes form the basis three chapters that play out across all gallery floors at KW. Spanning analogue and digital media, Poetics of Encryption features both historic and newly commissioned work by more than 40 international artists. Featuring artists: Nora Al-Badri, Morehshin Allahyari, American Artist, Emmanuel Van der Auwera, Gillian Brett, Émilie Brout & Maxime Marion, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Julian Charrière, Joshua Citarella, Clusterduck, Juan Covelli, Kate Crawford & Vladan Joler, Sterling Crispin, Simon Denny, enorê, Roger Hiorns, Tilman Hornig, Rindon Johnson, Daniel Keller, Andrea Khôra, Jonna Kina, Oliver Laric, Eva & Franco Mattes, Jürgen Mayer H., Most Dismal Swamp, NEW MODELS, Carsten Nicolai, Simone C Niquille, Trevor Paglen, Matthias Planitzer, Jon Rafman, Rachel Rossin, Sebastian Schmieg, Charles Stankievech, Troika, UBERMORGEN, Nico Vascellari, Zheng Mahler, among others. The exhibition architecture has been made in collaboration with architect Jürgen Mayer H. / J. MAYER H. and partners, architects. A dedicated website-as-catalogue also features three ‘web-first’ artistic commissions, rich media, and a bespoke AI chatbot. See poeticsofencryption.kw-berlin.de

Jill Mulleady (*1980 in Montevideo, Uruguay) and Henry Taylor (*1958, in Ventura, USA) share a long-standing, close friendship and an absolute dedication to painting. The duo exhibition You Me is testimony to a bond between two artists of different generations, origins and socialization, in which painting and the constant reference to art history act as a common denominator. In their figurative imagery, Mulleady and Taylor reveal ambivalences that inevitably demand a positioning of the viewer in relation to painting in the juxtaposition of the private and the public as well as the representation of bodies.

Kyiv Perennial interprets the idea of the biennial as a collective, long-term endeavor against the backdrop of survival – politically, socially, and culturally: “Perennial” means “lasting”, “enduring”, or “persisting”. Through presenting artistic and discursive practices, Kyiv Perennial addresses the multi-layered realities of war. The contributions engage and examine a wide-ranging spectrum of urgent themes, including war trauma, flight and displacement, the social and political polarization in European societies, ecological destruction caused by military conflict, and decolonial tendencies in contemporary Eastern European culture and politics. Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has given rise to a new wave of investigative, research-based, and documentary approaches deployed by artists, activists, and journalists. Their works have amounted to a collection of evidence of war crimes that reach from the killing of civilians and the erasure of architectural and other cultural heritage to environmental destruction that will affect Ukrainians until long after the end of the war. In addition to presenting these, Kyiv Perennial will put back into focus the Russian invasion of the Donbas region, the history of the Crimean Tatars, and German war crimes on Ukrainian soil during World War II. Going beyond a mere reckoning with the past, the exhibition orients itself towards the future, seeking possible exit strategies from the current deadlock of war, authoritarianism, and colonialism. The Berlin edition of the Kyiv Biennial commences with a three-day opening weekend: On February 23, the Kyiv Perennial opens at nGbK am Alex, two further openings follow at Between Bridges and station urbaner kulturen/nGbK Hellersdorf on February 24 and 25. On June 1, Prater Galerie organizes the symposium “What’s Left of the Friendship of Nations?”.