The seventh edition of abc art berlin contemporary kicked off yesterday morning. And it's all about art. To such an extent that even the press conference with Maike Cruse, director of abc now for the second time, took place surrounded by an artwork by Julian Göthe. 3 halls, 21 countries, 111 galleries and 115 individual artist positions - quite a program.

One big plus of abc is its format: you don't feel like you are in an art fair organized as a 'Roman camp', with the traditional white cube lit by neons that make your eyes cry at the end of your visit. The 3 halls of Station Berlin are bathed in sunlight, and a gentle breeze freshening up the space.

Daniel Steegmann Mangané / Esther Schipper (c 02)

It was quite funny to see how different people dealt with Daniel Steegmann Mangrané’s installation made of four aluminium chain curtains. Some were quite shy and only walked through the passageways, while others, more adventurous, traversed the curtains, making nice metallic sounds and interacting with the work.

Fiete Stolte's photobooth (a 12)

and John Bock's imbiss truck (c 05)
You can also go back home with an artwork of your own thanks to Fiete Stolte’s photo studio or have a Hawaii toast from John Bock’s imbiss.

To sum up my first impressions, works are spaced out and the 'one gallery / one artist' format gives the booths a sense of unity you may not find in traditional art fairs, which is genuinely pleasant. All in all, the atmosphere and energy were good.
One mystery remains still... Why was Barefoot smashing crystal vases?

Station Berlin/ Luckenwalder Straße 4-6, 10963 Berlin / U-Bahn Gleisdreieck (U1, U2) / various ticket prices / more information