Berlin Art Week, ladies and gentlemen, is starting right about NOW!  In the next few days time is the most precious currency - don't waste any of it - there is a lot not to be missed! 

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TUESDAY 17.09

19.00 Painting Forever! @ Auguststrasse

WHY: Four leading Berlin institutions for contemporary art  - Berlinische Galerie, Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, KW Institute for Contemporary Art and Nationalgalerie – joined forces to bring painting into focus at the artiest time of the year in Berlin. You need to be there. With drastically different curatorial strategies, varying from a solo show at Berlinische Galerie to a group show with 70 artists at KW,  this ambitious project raised some controversy on the related issues before it even started, there were even some rumors about a new movement - Bad Curating. Have a look for yourself, if you have any questions about the show, painting or life you can climb up the «Kanzel», an installation of Nina Rhode in KW and address the public. Like: why does the KW website have this giant mouse?

All shows but „JackQueenKingAce“  start today with a joint opening on Auguststrasse as a part of the Berlin Art Week street festival. Live on stage Egil Egill Sæbjörnsson, HUSH HUSH, UNMAP, DJ Acid MariaDJ-Set

Auguststrasse / Berlin - Mitte, U6 Oranienburger Tor – S Oranienburger Strasse – U8 Rosenthaler Platz / more info

 

WEDNESDAY 18.09

13.00 Beautiful Minds @ Kleine Humboldt Galerie
18.00 Slug Bait @ Bel Etage
19.00 I'm Rolling Down the Stairs, too Grözinger to Schlicher @ SMAC

WHY: With no time to waste, 3in1 pack is the best we can offer. While browsing around the spotlight taken by the major art institutions, we found some hidden gems that deserve your attention. These three off spaces - Kleine Humboldt Galerie, Bel Etage and Smac - have some interesting things going on and, convieniently enough, all three are in Mitte with different opening hours.

Start early in the otherwise closed university laboratories of Humboldt University at a group exhibition „Beautiful Minds“ that traces the similarities of the obsessive working methods in art and science. Later on join the opening of Bel Etage project - an exhibition on the façade that deals with the issue of public vs private space. End the tour lightheartedly - just around the corner is SMAC with an entertaining blend of morbid exorcism and flower-power references in the collaborative works by Sebastian Schlicher and Philip Grözinger.

Kleine Humboldt Galerie / Unter den Linden 6, Berlin 10099, S + U Friedrichstrasse / more info 
Bel Etage / Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin 10178,U2  Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz / more info
SMAC / Linienstrasse 57, 10119 Berlin, U2 Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz / more info

 

19.00 Suspension @ Artistdock

WHY: This exhibition explores suspension not only as a physical state, but as a ritual process which involves time, space, memory, and identity. It investigates the multifaceted outcomes through the work of nine artists and the ideas that vary from utopia to dystopia. Located at the old and abandoned Sparkasse that perfectly complements the concept, it is far from the conventional and overly embraced white cube. It makes a rare opportunity to avoid the often stiff and uneasy gallery setting, but more importantly – it fosters a meaningful dialogue with the works presented there.

Artistdock / Potsdamerstrasse79, 10785 Berlin, U1 Kurfürstenstrasse / more info

 

19.00 Tötet die "Geistig-Politische Wende", wo Ihr sie trefft! @ Gitte Bohr

WHY: In response to the German national elections 2013, Gitte Bohr and WestGermany present works about the current visual culture of democracy with a critical view on the representations of opinion making, rituals of campaigning and media coverage, orchestrated with rallies, opinion surveys, speeches and stagings, propaganda and votes forecasts. Join the opening to get into the (anti)political mood,  or take it less seriously at the exhibition closing on Sunday  22.09 at 19h with Politiker-Disko and live transmission from the counting of the votes.

Gitte Bohr / Skalitzerstr. 133, 10999 Berlin, U Kottbuser Tor / free entry / more info

 

THURSDAY 19.09

16.00 abc art fair @ Station Berlin

WHY: In the 6th edition of abc art berlin contemporary, over 130 galleries and 18 countries will be presented with the three-day-long fair pushing each gallery and institution to demonstrate their abilities as producers for artists. With many pieces made specially for the fair, abc features work from artists including Julieta Aranda, Nina Beier, Adriano Costa, Maria EIchhorn, Mark Flood, Kasia Fudakowski, Laetitia Gendre, Ryan McGinley, Jerszy Seymour, and more. Supplementing the pieces displayed, some artists have elected to introduce time-based or performative aspects to their work, as well as lectures, artist talks, and discussions—Nasan Tur will be giving an artist talk on his contemporary urban landscapes on 20.09 at 13h at Station Berlin. Other artists with performative, time-based, or otherwise animate elements to their projects include Alexandra Bachzetsis, Kasia Fudakowski, and Thomas Zipp.

The fair festivities begin at the opening BBQ Thursday 19.09 from 16h-23h. Otherwise, abc will be open Friday through Sunday, from 12h until 19h. Or, meet up with the abc crowd at Pauly Saal for music and drinks daily from 22h until late. Abc after parties every night at Pauly Saal organised by Monopol, niche and Schinkel Pavillion respectively- we forget who does which night, but it is the exact same crowd anyway- from 22h until late.

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

 

19.00 Ostkreuz. Into the West @ C/O Berlin

WHY: After years out of the spotlight, Charlottenburg is currently experiencing something like an extreme makeover. Commercial spaces are being filled again, Bikini Haus is being extensively renovated, and a high-rise building has been constructed next to the Gedächtniskirche. C/O Berlin has asked 14 photographers from the agency OSTKREUZ to explore the district and its residents. The result shifts between clichés and reality, run-down buildings and splendour, commerce and science, decline and new beginnings This might be the ideal moment to give another chance to Chrlottenburg and learn about its constant change, special quality and the myths of the Zoo district.

C/O Berlin / Hardenbergstr. 22-24, 10623 Berlin, S + U Zoologischer Garten / show open through 24.11 / more info

 

22.00 Preview Berlin Opening Party @ Prince Charles

WHY: If searching for some arty fun in a proper clubbing environment, we recommend Prince Charles where the Preview Berlin after-show party is starting at 22h, with live act by DAT Politics and a number of DJs. This party is a big maybe but on the bright side entry is included in any ticket or pass from Preview Berlin, ABC and all Berlin Art Week events; plus until midnight it is free for all.

Prince Charles / Prinzenstrasse 85F, 10969 Berlin, U8 Moritzplatz / free entry / more info

 

SATURDAY 21.09

Jeppe Hein @ St. Agnes

WHY: The third exhibition in the impressive interior of St.Agnes is about to accentuate its potential in a new way. A large mirror sculpture by Danish artist Jeppe Hein will literally send the visitors’ perception of themselves and of the monumental architecture spinning and swaying. The central work of the exhibition is a huge construction of two long, rectangular mirrors connected at right angles and placed on the gallery above the visitors’ heads, enabling the viewer to see the space reflected from various perspectives on the mirrored surfaces. In addition to this exciting piece that is convincing enough to make you visit the opening, the artist’s latest works on paper will be presented as well.

St. Agnes / Alexandrinenstrasse 118-121, 10969 Berlin, U Prinzenstrasse / show open through 20.10 / free entry / more info

 

SUNDAY 22.09

14.00 MONOPOL MASTERS Table Tennis Tournament @ Halle in Streustraße 90

WHY: Attention all the competitive ones out there: the Monopol magazine team organizes an artist table tennis tournament especially for Berlin Art Week. Besides a fair amount of healthy fun, there will be grill, drinks, music and TV for those who want to join the fun but do not feel sporty on a Sunday afternoon. One thing will lead to another anyway – we are just not sure whether the party is going to turn into a battlefield, or is it going to be the other way around.

Halle in Streustraße 90, 13086 Berlin, S Prenzlauer Allee / more info + RSVP: masters@monopol-magazin.de
 

Let's talk parties. As mentioned Pauly Saal is the new Bauer, but drinks are as expensive, on the Berlin scale anyway. So we need some alternatives. There will be an afterparty at Senatsrervenspeicher after the Utopia show- Tjorg Douglas Beer Berlin re-union with his and our favorite forgotten bar artists.You might or might not remember the undergroundspace at SRS from Alexander Levy's party last Gallery Weekend it is quite cool- literally too.  Party Wednesday 18.09 from 23.30h Bar Babette used to be a  definite must after the Artforum opening, this year it is a maybe, good show though, also on Wednesday. Thursday it is Preis der Neue National Gallery Prize, a lot of people will gather there, if you are into this kind of thing and on Saturday is the last summer grill of Autocenter – on the street at Leipiziger str, which is not a majestic as the Friedrichshain terrace.  There usually is also a party at picnic on Saturday announced just a day before.