From 12 December 2025 to 13 September 2026, the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin presents the first institutional solo exhibition of Saâdane Afif in the city. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of the work of the interdisciplinary artist, who has lived in Berlin since 2003, featuring the multi-part work The Fountain Archives. This long-term artistic archive project engages with one of the most prominent chapters of 20th-century art history: Marcel Duchamp’s legendary readymade Fountain from 1917. Afif’s installation was generously gifted to the museum by Paul Maenz in 2023.
Image above: Saȃdane Afif, The Fountain Archives (Augmented Series), 2014-2020, © VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2025 / Saȃdane Afif / Mehdi Chouakri
The exhibition presents key works that critically and humorously examine the institution of the art museum and the principle of authorship. Afif’s installations, objects, concerts, and performances draw on works and events from art history, music, and poetry. The long-term project The Fountain Archives began in 2008 with the collection of magazines, catalogues, and books, concluding in 2022 with the publication of an index to Duchamp’s famous urinal. The installation includes 25 song lyrics inspired by the project, contributed by collaborating artists, musicians, and writers.
Additionally, the exhibition features the 2010 work L’Humour noir, addressing questions regarding the reception of the avant-garde and its transmission in museums, as well as recent works such as The Old, referencing Jeff Koons’ The New series from the 1980s, and Live, an ongoing poster presentation of Berlin cultural events during the exhibition.
Saâdane Afif (b. 1970, Vendôme, France) lives in Berlin. He has exhibited at Documenta 12 (2007), the 8th Berlin Biennale (2014), and the 56th Venice Biennale (2015), and received the Prix Marcel Duchamp in 2009. His solo exhibitions include Centre Pompidou, Paris (2010), Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (2012), and Kunsthalle Wien (2018). He participated in the 2016 exhibition project Scores at Hamburger Bahnhof and was artistic director of the Bergen Assembly in 2022.
The exhibition is curated by Gabriele Knapstein, Head of Collections and Deputy Director at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart. An accompanying catalogue is published in the Hamburger Bahnhof series by Silvana Editoriale, Milan.
WHEN?
Exhibition dates: Friday, 12 December 2025 – Sunday, 13 September 2026
WHERE?
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Invalidenstraße 50
10557 Berlin
