The Berlin Gallery Scene

Wenessday 4th, 2009

On Wednesday our class concluded our tour of the Berlin gallery scene with Hans Koenings. According to the Roman Kräussl text we read in class, Germany hosts the highest number of art institutions per capita in the world, and Berlin, controlling 29% of the art market in Germany, ranks among the most artsy of European cities. Berlin holds a slight lead in the German art market, but Munich and other cities of German’s diverse regions remain close on Berlin’s heels. Germany’s federalist system results in a decentralized art market, meaning one city will never dominate the art landscape of Germany, creating a diverse and ever changing market.

We learned that the cheap real estate prices in Berlin make it possible for up and coming artists to establish themselves. Production Galleries, which are created by small groups of artists who pay pitch in to pay for a gallery’s rent as well as a curator to manage and promote it, are an easy way for artists to break into the Berlin art scene. Smaller galleries are constantly searching for new artists to promote; the low overhead and high popularity of the Berlin gallery scene allows these galleries a relative amount of flexibility. Production galleries however, are often short lived, exhibiting art for an average of two years; at which point most will close permanently, though the most successful galleries may continue on to become permanent art institutions. This system creates a sort of turnaround for the gallery scene in Berlin, constantly providing the city new galleries and bringing fresh faces and talents to the forefront of the German capital’s art scene.

Those established galleries which are able stay in business are constantly looking for new artists to host in their exhibitions, and many put on events and attend art fairs in search of new talent. This results in a packed calendar of art related events which keeps artists, curators and consumers busy throughout the year in Berlin. One of Berlin’s biggest art events is the “art forum berlin,” a four day international art show in late September; the 2009 forum attracted 40,000 collectors, museum directors, curators and art lovers from all over the world according to its website. Of course, events of this size involve much larger institutions than Berlin’s many small galleries, but these galleries still establish a presence at these enormous events.