009 - Humorous postcolonialism vs. disenchanted brilliance

11th Berlin Biennale

Life after Berlin Art Week

Hello Smart Art Lover,

Last week a friend forwarded me a three-year-old article by critic Wolfgang Ulrich, which in my opinion fits very well with two prominent group exhibitions in the city, the Berlin Biennale and Studio Berlin in Berghain. For the author, a schism has been building up for some time between curators and the art market. On one hand, an intellectual elite expects bulky works that focus on minorities in a site-specific way with a political claim and paired with theoretical texts; the reading of which makes Heidegger studies seem easy. On the other hand, commercially successful artists create works for fairs and a clientele of super-rich collectors. Supported by an arsenal of marketing speak and sponsored lifestyle events. This is very exaggerated, but it gets to the heart of the disparity. But let me go into more detail on both exhibitions.

Postcolonialism with humour

The Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, meaningfully titled The Crack Begins Within, spreads over four locations. Personally, I like the daadgalerie best. It is a harmonious collection of works by politically active artists and collectives. Especially the film by Naomi Rincón Gallardo on the upper floor is refreshing with its wild mixture of activism and humour. Personified deities dance and sing in a colourful way against the current oppression of the indigenous minority. Art and humour as creative guerrilla tactics.

In the Gropiusbau the top floor is reserved. The prelude is dominated by paintings by Sandra Gamarra Heshiki, in which pre-Columbian exhibits in dark museum rooms make it clear to me that I will see a lot of post-colonial things in the coming hour. The animated film by the Turkish artist Aykan Safoglu with a seemingly privileged perspective falls out of the series. He processes his school days at the German-Turkish elite grammar school in Istanbul in a passing series of pictures and objects on a black background. Katarina Zdjelar's installation appeals to my sense of aesthetics. It refers to two proto-feminists, Käthe Kollwitz and the choreographer Dore Hoyer, who created a dance in 1946 as a homage to the German artist. Coloured glass objects cover archive photographs in stylish display cases. New performances of this dance performance are distributed across several screens. And, separated by a gauze curtain, graphics by Käthe Kollwitz herself are hanging. Art quotes for the advanced.

Mariela Scafati, Movilización [Mobilisierung], 2020, Courtesy Mariela Scafati; Courtesy Galería Isla Flotante, Buenos Aires and PSM, Berlin

Monotony and diversity

At KW Institute for Contemporary Art the focus on minorities is continued with a variety of documentary films and paper works. At the start my gaze opens on a collection of folding comrades by Mariela Scafati. A good balance between art market demands and social criticism. Afterwards, the monotony is broken only by a special discovery in the basement of the Pogobar: in highly stylised film, New York based Carlos Motta blends Christian religion with a queer view.

Finally, in ExRotaprint, archive material from the first three exhibitons awaits me. At this point I understand the principle of the curators. Although I welcome the fact that a forum is given to the smallest minorities, I am happy to get out quickly.

The Crack Begins Within
11th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art
curated by María Berrios, Renata Cervetto, Lisette Lagnado and Agustin Pérez Rubio
September 5 - November 1, 2020
Gropiusbau
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
daadgalerie
11th Berlin Biennale c/o ExRotaprint
berlinbiennale.de

Berghain. Taking photos is not allowed!

Brilliant move

If the Berlin Biennale stands for the curatorial side, then the exhibition at Berghain is the exact opposite. In a brilliant move, Christian and Karen Boros counteract the media swan song about the Berlin art scene. During the lockdown, Berlin's commercially successful artists did a lot of work. Studio Berlin is now collecting a selection of these works, mixed with pieces by some of the Berghain's staff. In the empty halls of the city's most famous club, the aim is to show that the German capital is still a centre of contemporary art production. The few admission tickets are much sought after. And the collector couple once again defend their alpha claim within the Berlin scene.

Cool

Morgen ist die Frage (Tomorrow is the question) I read on a big banner on the main facade. With its subtle doubt, the statement gives me a foretaste of what follows. The line in front of the door is confusing. The mobile phone cameras are taped at the entrance. No photos allowed. Full of suspense I enter the holy halls. And I quickly understand that I am only allowed to go in one way at a time, to which the bad-tempered staff strictly pays attention.If you are not an expert, I recommend that you book a guided tour, as there is nothing to guide you apart from slips of paper with the artist names near the works. Cool and unappealing.

Disenchanted

After an hour I leave this building completely disenchanted and don't know if I want to return. The video projection of a burning fountain by Julian Charrière is impressive. A very fine finale is the film installation by Wolfgang Tillmanns in the last room, whose Freischwimmer and Rosette hang in the Panoramabar. Almost all works reflect bafflement, fear and pessimism. And many artists make no reference to the present, but remain in an eternal variation of their once successful concept. I miss the positive energy that I have sometimes discovered in the Biennial. At the same time, the Studio Berlin with its Eurocentric view complements the curatorial exhibition. Deeply sad, I even dare the thesis that the presentation in Berghain from the centre of Europe is the better Berlin Biennale. It shows me that the elite on show has no idea how to go on. Soberingly honest.

Studio Berlin
September - Dezember 2020
Berghain

Felix Kiessling, Anti-Sonne
Courtesy the artist and alexander levy

My kind of art fair

Far out in Reinickendorf are the Wilhelmhallen. An investor has bought them up and is trying to upgrade the brick buildings for potential customers using the method: art = gentrification = property upgrading. And in my eyes it is successful. Seven of Berlin's best galleries have joined forces and give an insight into their programme. The free arrangement of the works refers to the beginning of art berlin contemporary, before it was purchased by Koelnmesse, renamed Art Berlin and after a short time ended for good. In addition, some smart art professionals take advantage of the visitors modes of discovery and show their works in the adjoining rooms. The whole atmosphere reminds me of early 2000s Berlin. Downstairs in the main building one can relax with a bad cappuccino and a wine. Except the coffee, absolutely recommendable. And only open until this Sunday.

K60
An exhibition of 23 artists
Organised by the seven Berlin galleries Alexander Levy
, BQ
, ChertLüdde
, Klemms's
, Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Plan B, PSM
WILHELMHALLEN, Berlin

Grit Richter, Mixed Feelings, Installation view at Galerie Tanja Wagner, 2020. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Tanja Wagner, Berlin

My first 5 exhibition favourites

1) A perfect balance of zeitgeist

At Tanja Wagner, Grit Richter demonstrates a sensitive feeling for exhibition design. Not too much, not too little. The copper grid and rich wall colours complement the luminous paintings and velvety sculptures in harmonious proportion. Worth seeing!

Grit Richter
Mixed Feelings
September 11 - October 31, 2020
Galerie Tanja Wagner, Berlin

2) Great moment in a dark room

neugerriemschneider have already shown so many exhibitions in their small factory building that it is getting a little monotonous. But the two light installations by Olafur Eliasson remind me of great moments in this gallery, like Eliasson's glacier ice or Simon Starling's film sculpture about Noack. Watch out, it's dark!

Olafur Eliasson
Near future living light
September 12 - October 24, 2020
neugerriemschneider, Berlin

3) Cold shiver in front of
the Brandenburg Gate

The best video exhibition is definitely by Marta Górnicka at Ebensperger. The artist stands between theatre and art. Her instrument is the Chorus. When in one of the five film projections a group in front of the Brandenburg Gate quotes the German constitution, a cold shiver runs down my spine. Take your time!

Marta Górnicka
Multitude
in collaboration with Luxoom Lab
September 12 - November 8, 2020
Ebensperger, Berlin

4) The computer and the forest

In my eyes the most progressive exhibition presents Dittrich & Schlechtriem. Andreas Greiner collects images of forests created by an algorithm. And a tree installation that has been devastated by bark beetles. Forest Dying for the Second Machine Age.

Andreas Greiner
Jungle Memory
September 11 - October 31, 2020
Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Berlin

5) Aesthetic vandalism

Felix Kiessling is most familiar to me as a poet of conceptual art. At alexander levy he deliberately exhibits demolished fire doors and stylish wall sculptures made of forgotten bicycle frames. Minimalism in its most striking form.

Felix Kiessling
Taumel
September 11 - October 24, 2020
alexander levy, Berlin

Be brave, gentle and smart.

Yours,
Florian