A Guide To The Must-See Exhibitions At This Year’s Berlin Gallery Weekend

What began in 2004 as a private initiative by galleries in Berlin has become one of Germany’s leading art events, giving collectors and enthusiasts alike the chance to spend a weekend visiting some of the city’s most interesting galleries. It is an event that capitalizes on Berlin’s enigmatic art world, and while many cities around Europe have attempted to replicate its model, few have achieved the same level of success. With 2019 marking Gallery Weekend’s 15th anniversary, and with over 50 galleries listed as part of the event, those interested in art have a busy weekend ahead of them. To assist with decision making, we spoke to Johann König, Alexander Levy, Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, Maurin Dietrich, Nele Heinevetter and Nadim Julien Samman, to find out what you cannot afford to miss in Berlin this Gallery Weekend.

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Renowned Berlin art dealer and gallerist, Johann König – of the eponymous König Galerie, shared three recommendations with IGNANT. His first, ‘Mischpoche’ by Andreas Mühe: The exhibition is showing at Hamburger Bahnhof, and continues Mühe’s examination of German history, and the relation of such collective history to his own. The second, Jeppe Hein at König’s own gallery space on Dessauer Straße. While many exhibitions continue beyond the weekend, this show is only on for three days, providing what König calls “a rare opportunity to witness the artist’s process”. The third, an overview of famed Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov at CO Berlin. Consisting of over 400 photographs, ‘Before Sleep / After Drinking’ coincides with the 80th birthday of Mikhailov, and does much to illustrate the significance of his work chronicling everyday life in a (post-) Soviet society.

Andreas Mühe
Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstraße 50-51, 10557 Berlin

Jeppe Heine
Johann König, Dessauer Str. 6A, 10963 Berlin

Boris Mikhailov
CO  Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 22-24, 10623 Berlin

Alexander Levy, who opened his gallery on Rudi-Dutschke-Straße in January 2012, offered IGNANT his advice on must-see exhibitions from the weekend. The first at Dittrich & Schlechtriem from French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière, whose genre-bending work draws together cultural history and environmental science. The second, Raphaela Vogel’s ‘Vogelspinne’, a solo show from the German artist that is opening tonight (Friday, 26 April) at 6 pm at BQ Berlin. The third, a solo exhibition titled ‘HAUS’ from famed Swiss artist duo Fischli Weiss. Opening at Sprüth Magers on the 26th, this exhibition focuses on the architectural reference system that sits at the heart of the pair’s collaborative work, ongoing since the 1980s.

JULIAN CHARRIÈRE
Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Linienstraße 23, 10178 Berlin

Raphaela Vogel
BQ, Weydingerstraße 10, 10178 Berlin

Peter Fischli David Weiss
Sprüth Magers, Oranienburger Str. 18, 10178 Berlin

Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, founders of famed spatial design and architecture studio Gonzalez Haase – AAS Architects, let us in on their picks for the weekend. The first opens this evening at Galerie Nordenhake: “We love Rémy Zaugg for many reasons: for his art, for his writing”. The second, avant-garde photographer Ilse Bing at Galerie Berinson – a gallery that specializes in early 20th-century art. “We love the choice of the gallery as it is a great introduction to the understanding of how the arts have developed”, the pair explains. “A classic choice and a female artist.” Their final selection is Rick Owens at Andreas Murkudis; an exhibition of a different sort – this time in the form of a fashion pop-up store. Gonzalez and Haase call Owens, “an artist of his own kind”.

Rémy Zaugg
Galerie Nordenhake, Lindenstraße 34, 10969 Berlin

Ilse Bing
Galerie Berinson,Schlüterstraße 28, 10629 Berlin

Rick Owens
Andreas Murkudis, Potsdamer Straße 77, 10785 Berlin

Maureen Dietrich, a founder of Fragile and a curator at KW, gave us a bountiful selection of thoughtful suggestions. The first, ‘Yeki Bud Yeki Nabud’ from German-Iranian artist Nigin Beck at Ashley. Dietrich praised both the artist and the gallery, describing their program as “bold, focused and much needed”. The second, David Wojnarowicz at KW – an exhibition that is both political and personal, showing a body of work that was “as conceptually rigorous as it was stylistically diverse”. The third, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger at Galerie Barbara Weiss. An exhibition comprised of works that “thematically… address the threshold between past, present and future technologies”. The fourth, conveniently located beside Galerie Barbara Weiss, is Pieter Schoolwerth’s ‘Virtual Relief’ at Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler. The fifth and final suggestion, Veit Laurent Kurz’s ‘Nutrition and Drama’, a solo exhibition at Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi opening tonight (the 26th of April).

Nigin Beck
Ashley Berlin, Oranienstraße 37, 10999 Berlin

David Wojnarowicz
KW Berlin, Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin

Frieda Toranzo Jaeger
Galerie Barbara Weiss, Zimmerstraße 88-91, 10117 Berlin

Pieter Schoolwerth
Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Kohlfurter Str. 41/43, 10999 Berlin

Veit Laurent Kurz

Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi, Schöneberger Ufer 61, 10785 Berlin

Art historian, and co-founder of niche, Nele Heinevetter shared her advice for those walking the streets of Berlin this weekend. The first, Raphaela Vogel’s ‘Vogelspinne’ at BQ: an exhibition that uniquely combines performance, film, and sculpture, and which opens tonight (April 26th). The second, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger’s ‘Deep Adaptation’ at Galerie Barbara Weiss; an exhibition exploring technology across different mediums. The third at ChertLüdde, from Berlin-based, Venezuelan-born artist Sol Calero and Conglomerate, an artist collective comprised of Sol Calero, Ethan Hayes-Chute, Derek Howard, Christopher Kline and Dafna Maimon. The fourth is Nigin Beck’s ‘Yeki Bud Yeki Nabud’, a title that translates to mean One was there and on was not there, or  There was one and there wasn’t one’—a common opening line to Iranian fairy tales.

Frieda Toranzo Jaeger
Galerie Barbara Weiss,Kohlfurter Str. 41/43, 10999 Berlin

Sol Calero
Chert Lüdde, Ritterstraße 2A, 10969 Berlin

Curator, art historian and co-founder of the first Antarctic Biennale (2017) Nadim Samman kindly gave us his selection of unmissable exhibitions from the upcoming weekend. The first, ‘Second Suns’ from Berlin-based conceptual artist Julian Charrière at Dittrich & Schlechtriem. The second, Fabian Knecht’s performative exhibition ‘Bruch’—a title that translates from German to mean fracture, failure, break, fissure—at Alexander Levy Gallery. The third, at ChertLüdde, from Sol Calero and artist collective Conglomerate: ‘Archivos Olvidados’ and ‘The Host Eats a Lot Then Gives Birth to Himself’ respectively, and Juan Antonio Olivares’ ‘Vespula Vulgaris’ at Bungalow.

JULIAN CHARRIÈRE
Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Linienstraße 23, 10178 Berlin

Fabian Knecht
Alexander Levy, Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 26, 10969 Berlin

Sol Calero
Chert Lüdde, Ritterstraße 2A, 10969 Berlin