With its 10th edition, the KGB Art Week from 1 to 10 September 2023 kicks off the Berlin Art Autumn. More than 30 municipal galleries will be showing numerous exhibitions and inviting visitors to exciting events. More than 350 artists are involved in the anniversary programme, which clearly shows the focus of the work of the Kommunale Galerien Berlin: thematic exhibitions, monographic exhibitions of important Berlin positions and relevant accompanying events. In doing so, they cover the entire spectrum of artistic production, from painting and graphic art to photography and sculpture to video art and installations as well as sound and performance art. This year’s KGB Art Week focuses, among other things, on climate change, ecological issues as well as flight and trauma. More than ten exhibitions will open during the art week. To kick off the KGB Art Week on 1 September, the KGB Sounds on Mariannenplatz will also celebrate the opening of “Voicing Bethanien – an exhibition space in context” on the occasion of 50 years of Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien. In addition to the KGB Sounds, the KGB Tours and KGB Young are part of the supporting programme of the KGB Art Week. In November, the KGB Conference invites you to lectures and workshops dealing with the topics of diversity and discrimination-critical working approaches in the art field.
Fig. above: © Nora Bibel, -6.11140, 106.80642 from Uncertain Homelands, Gallery: Haus am Kleistpark I Projektraum, Exhibition: Uncertain Homelands. A photographic project by Nora Bibel
The topics of climate change and ecology are addressed, among others, in the Haus am Kleistpark I project space, the Galerie im Turm or the Galerie Gotisches Haus. Nora Bibel’s photographic project “Uncertain Homelands” documents the effects of climate change in Indonesia, Namibia and Germany (Haus am Kleistpark). The exhibition “Poles of Inaccessibility” is part of the “Vertigo” exhibition series, which deals with historical, present and future world designs in the cosmos and oceans (Galerie im Turm), while in “Deméter”, inspired by the eponymous goddess Demeter, the artists Solange Salvá and John Mc Cam address the sustainability of exhibitions by means of site-specific installations (Galerie Gotisches Haus).
Flight and trauma are the focus of the Galerie im Kulturhaus Karlshorst, Galerie Nord and Kommunale Galerie Berlin. The exhibition “Life before and after” reflects the emotions and concerns of artist Iryna Terentieva related to the war in Ukraine (Galerie im Kulturhaus Karlshorst). In the exhibition “Moved”, the artists Chan Sook Choi, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Pınar Öğrenci and Selma Selman shed light on stories of personal and collective transgenerational trauma and address questions of historiography, displacement, oppression and resistance (Galerie Nord). The exhibition “KOSMOS RUSSIA” features photographic works by Frank Gaudlitz – ranging from the loss-ridden interim period of the 1990s in Russia to portraits of Ukrainians and Russians who fled to Moldova, Georgia and Armenia (Kommunale Galerie Berlin).
Berlin artists are on show at Galerie Parterre Berlin in the group exhibition “From Sheet to Sheet. Wege der Zeichnung” (From Sheet to Sheet. Ways of Drawing) with around 100 drawing positions from Berlin from 1945 to the present. “Hidden Layers” at Schloss Biesdorf includes positions by artists from Berlin, socialised in East Germany, whose works are resilient, preserved memory and the opposite of the waste of sense and sensuality.
With monographic exhibitions, two greats of the art scene can be experienced during the KGB Art Week. In the exhibition “Jamming”, Nevin Aladağ shows the video work of the same name and other installation art works with which she questions borders (Schwartzsche Villa). The first German solo exhibition by Agnes Denes since 1978 presents under the title “If the Berlin Wind Blows My Flag. Art and Internationalisation before the Fall of the Wall” presents early works by the artist (Galerie im Körnerpark).
The 10th edition of the KGB Art Week coincides with the 50th anniversary of Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien. To mark this occasion, “Voicing Bethanien – an exhibition space in context” will be presented there with a cross-room video installation consisting of interviews with contemporary witnesses.
The supporting programme kicks off on 1 September 2023 with KGB Sounds, whose uniqueness lies in the fact that the performing musicians are also visual artists. Banu Çiçek Tülü, at home in the rave and techno scene, will present her debut album “TransSoundScapes”, which will be accompanied by an exclusive drag performance. The artist duo Isasi Armengod (Luna Carlos Armengod and Isasi Isasi) explore points of contact between auditory and visual art, with water and its symbolic and sonic properties playing a special role. Juli Schmidt and Fabian Simon form the duo Großer Hund (Big Dog), who write songs about everything that is not up in the trees. They are regarded as the Marianne & Michael of Schrammel-Folk and play sweaty music to roar along to. As a composer, painter, choreographer and creative director, Richard Kennedy wanders between the stages of this world and opens up spaces for fluid transitions of gender, class and ethnic origin. The world-renowned DJ and curator of music and sound practices at the House of World Cultures, Edna Martinez, will close the evening with African, Caribbean and Arabic sounds and rhythms of different periods, promising an intense dance experience. The KGB Sounds are part of the Cultural Summer Festival Berlin 2023.
With two bus tours, an underground tour, a bicycle tour and a walking tour, the KGB tours on 3 September 2023 offer a multifaceted insight into the work of the municipal galleries. The tours lead to four to five galleries in one or more districts. Participants visit exhibitions, receive exclusive guided tours and can talk to curators, gallery directors and/or artists. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required by 27 August at mail@kgberlin.net.
With KGB-Young, the KGB Art Week aims to inspire young people for art. With workshops, the programme is aimed at children, young people, families, pre-school groups and school classes. From 1 to 10 September 2023, exciting courses will take place daily, introducing diverse styles and art techniques such as acrylic painting, monotype, collage, comic drawing, sound design, digital drawing and much more. Due to the limited number of participants, registration is required at the venues. Details can be found at www.kgberlin.net.
Somewhat delayed, the KGB conference will take place on 11 November. Lectures and workshops will deal with the topic of diversity and critical approaches to discrimination in the arts. Artists, curators and academics will show the scope for action on the levels of programme, audience, partnerships and staff and offer participants networking opportunities.
The detailed programme of the KGB Art Week 2023 will be published on the website of Kommunale Galerien Berlin at www.kgberlin.net from mid-August.
The KGB Art Week is kindly supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and the exhibition fund Kommunale Galerien.
Facts and figures
KGB Art Week: 1-10 September 2023
34 exhibitions with the participation of approx. 350 artists in 32 galleries throughout Berlin. Artistic genres: Painting, photography, performance, video and sound art,
drawing, graphic art, sculpture, installation, conceptual art
Exhibition openings
31. August 2023, 18 Uhr
Galerie Historischer Keller
Hide and seek
31. August 2023, 19 Uhr
Haus am Kleistpark
Punctum. Die Nominierten zum Kunstpreis des Haus am Kleistpark 2023 stellen aus
1.September 2023, ab 15 Uhr, Begrüßung: 19 Uhr
Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien
Voicing Bethanien – ein Ausstellungsort im Kontext
1. September 2023, 18 Uhr
Kommunale Galerie Berlin
KOSMOS RUSSLAND
1. September 2023, 18:30 Uhr
Rathaus-Galerie Reinickendorf
Förderpreis Junge Kunst 2023
1. September 2023, 19 Uhr
Galerie im Rathaus Johannisthal
Fern Liberty Kallenbach Campbell
1. September 2023, 19 Uhr
Galerie Nord I Kunstverein Tiergarten
Moved
5. September 2023, 19 Uhr
Galerie Pankow
Ornament und Verbrechen
7. September 2023, 18 Uhr
Kommunale Galerie Berlin
Shapes of Action
7. September 2023, 18 Uhr
Schwartzsche Villa
Nevin Aladağ – Jamming
7. September 2023, 19 Uhr
Galerie im Tempelhof Museum
MINOR FEELINGS
7. September 2023, 19 Uhr (Online)
Prater Galerie
Tracing the Geometry of Cyberwar
8. September 2023, 18 Uhr
Galerie im Körnerpark
If the Berlin Wind Blows My Flag. Kunst und Internationalisierung vor dem
Mauerfall
KGB-Sounds: 1. September 2023, 15–21 Uhr
Open-Air-Konzerte mit Künstler:innenbands
Open-Air-Bühne vor dem Eingang zum Kunstquartier Bethanien auf dem Kreuzberger
Mariannenplatz
Line-Up: Banu Çiçek Tülü, Isasi Armengod, Großer Hund, Richard Kennedy, Edna
Martinez
Eintritt frei
KGB-Sounds finden im Rahmen des Kultursommerfestivals Berlin 2023 statt.
KGB Tours: 3 September 2023, 2 p.m.
Two bus tours, one underground tour, one bicycle tour and one walking tour to each of four
to five galleries each.
Tours last approximately three to four hours.
On-site welcome by gallery directors, curators and/or artists;
Presentation of the current exhibitions and programme focus of the galleries.
Participation is free of charge. The tours are conditionally barrier-free. Please contact us by e-mail or telephone
(0179 127 27 90).
For further information and registration (by confirmation e-mail), please send an e-mail to
27.8.2023 at: mail@kgberlin.net
KGB-Young: 1-10 September 2023
Daily programme of workshops in various galleries and districts for children,
young people, families, pre-school groups as well as school classes.
Participation is free of charge.
Please register with the respective organising galleries:
www.kgberlin.net
KGB Conference: 11 November 2023, 11:00-18:00
Topic: Diversity and anti-discriminatory approaches in the art sector
Lectures and workshops by artists, curators and academics.
academics
Zitadelle – ZAK Centre for Contemporary Art
Am Juliusturm 64 | 13599 Berlin
More information coming soon at www.kgberlin.net
Organiser
Working Group Municipal Galleries Berlin
c/o Kulturnetzwerk Neukölln e. V.
Karl-Marx-Str. 131 | 12043 Berlin
Speakers of the Working Group of the Kommunale Galerien Berlin
Stéphane Bauer (Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien) and Karin Scheel (Schloss Biesdorf)
Project team
Theres Laux, Natalia Raaben
The 36 municipal galleries in Berlin have a total of 10,000 m2 of exhibition space.
and show up to 200 exhibitions a year, involving around 1,200 artists.
artists are involved.
