Mit Ausstellungen, Interventionen und Veranstaltungen bespielt die 12. Berlin Biennale mehrere Orte in der Stadt – darunter in diesem Jahr auch der Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin – und erstreckt sich als diskursiver Raum über verschiedene Bereiche der Wissensproduktion.

Mit ihren Ausstellungsorten kartografiert die 12. Berlin Biennale historische Brüche sowie politische und soziale Transformationsprozesse, die in Berlin ihren Anfang nahmen und weit über die Stadt hinauswirken. Vor diesem Hintergrund formulieren die Beiträge zur 12. Berlin Biennale dekoloniale Strategien und Praktiken für die Gegenwart.

Kurator der 12. Berlin Biennale: Kader Attia
Kader Attia blickt auf mehr als zwei Jahrzehnte dekoloniales Engagement zurück. Als Künstler, Denker und Aktivist hat er sich insbesondere mit dem Begriff der Reparatur, zunächst von Objekten und körperlichen Verletzungen und schließlich von individuellen und gesellschaftlichen Traumata, beschäftigt. Die Reparatur hat sich dabei als eine Möglichkeit kulturellen Widerstands erwiesen, als eine Art der Handlungsmacht, die in unterschiedlichen Praktiken und Wissensformen Ausdruck findet. Als Kurator der 12. Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst macht Kader Attia diesen Ansatz zum Ausgangspunkt eines Programms, das Beitragende und Publikum in eine kritische Debatte involviert und in eine gemeinsame Suche nach Wegen, für das Jetzt Sorge zu tragen.

Ausstellungsorte der 12. Berlin Biennale
Ausstellungsorte der 12. Berlin Biennale sind die Akademie der Künste (Hanseatenweg und Pariser Platz), Dekoloniale Memory Culture in the City, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Stasi Headquarters. Campus for Democracy und der Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin.

Kader Attia sagte: „Ich werde oft gefragt: Was kommt nach dem dekolonialen Denken? Mir geht es jedoch weniger um das, was danach kommt, als vielmehr darum, dass es sich um ein ständiges Gespräch im Hier und Jetzt handelt, um eine Reihe von Reparaturen, die in verschiedenen Bereichen der Gesellschaft stattfinden.“

Der Kolonialismus wirkt noch lange nach, nachdem die Menschen im globalen Süden ihre politische Unabhängigkeit erlangt haben. Über 500 Jahre koloniales Denken und Handeln haben alle Lebensbereiche geprägt – in den Gesellschaften des Südens ebenso wie in denen des Nordens. Koloniale Gewalt, Faschismus und kapitalistische Ausbeutung bestehen fort, wobei neue Spielarten entstehen. Die Befreiung des Wissens, Denkens und Handelns von kolonialen Mustern ist der Antrieb eines dekolonialen Prozesses, der das Gelernte verlernen und den eigenen Standpunkt kontinuierlich hinterfragen will.

Kader Attia blickt auf mehr als zwei Jahrzehnte dekoloniales Engagement zurück. Als Künstler, Denker und Organisator hat er sich besonders mit dem Begriff der Reparatur befasst – zunächst mit Objekten und körperlichen Verletzungen und anschließend mit individuellen und gesellschaftlichen Traumata. In seiner gesamten Praxis hat sich die Reparatur zu einer Form des kulturellen Widerstands entwickelt, einer Form des Handelns, die sich in verschiedenen Praktiken und Wissensgebieten ausdrückt. Als Kurator der 12. Berlin Biennale macht Attia diese Form der Agentur zum Ausgangspunkt eines Programms, das Mitwirkende und Publikum gleichermaßen in ein kritisches Gespräch darüber einbezieht, wie man sich um das Jetzt kümmert.

Mit der Anerkennung von Kunst als aufwändiger Form der Reparatur entfaltet sich die 12. Berlin Biennale um eine Reihe von Fragen. Wie lässt sich die Dekolonisierung der Kunst denken – von der Restitution geplünderter Güter bis hin zu einer antikolonialen Erinnerungskultur? Welche Rolle können nicht-westliche feministische Bewegungen bei der Wiederaneignung von Geschichte und Identität spielen? Wie hängen Klimakrise und Kolonialismus zusammen, und wie kann der Ressourcenentnahme Widerstand geleistet und einheimisches Wissen anerkannt werden, um Ökosysteme zu erhalten?

Mit Ausstellungen, Interventionen und Events wird die 12. Berlin Biennale verschiedene Orte in der Stadt umspannen und einen diskursiven Raum bieten, der verschiedene Felder der Wissensproduktion überbrückt. Vom 11. Juni bis 18. September 2022 entwickelt sich eine vielstimmige Debatte, die Künstler*innen, Wissenschaftler*innen und Aktivist*innen zusammenbringt, um die Welt mit ihren Brüchen und Widersprüchen zu kartieren, Gegenerzählungen zur kolonialen Chronik zu schaffen und gemeinsam neue Formen des Handelns für die Zukunft zu gestalten.

Originally founded in 1967 by the gallery owners Hein Stünke and Rudolf Zwirner as the ‘Kunstmarkt Köln ’67’, ART COLOGNE is today one of the most important international addresses for exceptional and high quality art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Around 200 leading international galleries from more than 20 countries come together annually and present a broad offering of modern and contemporary works in all price segments and movements by more than 2,000 artists.

ART COLOGNE presents art lovers and collectors with the most varied offering segments, including the GALLERIES section with modern and postwar art and extending to the modern and contemporary art of established galleries. This also includes the NEW POSITIONS section, a sponsorship programme that makes it possible for young artists to present their works in their own promotional booths next to the stands of their gallery owners. In addition to this, with the NEUMARKT section, ART COLOGNE presents the central platform for the “cutting edge art” of young galleries that have existed for no more than ten years. Curated presentations and special projects from galleries of all age classes are also found in the NEUMARKT section.

A supporting programme of exhibition openings and events in museums and institutions throughout the Rhineland, as well as integrated services, pleasant lounges and the best food service round off the trade fair and make ART COLOGNE one of the events of this year in Germany that you shouldn’t miss.

11. Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst
The Crack Begins Within
5. September–1. November 2020

Unter dem Titel The Crack Begins Within eröffnete die 11. Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst an vier Orten den Epilog

Seit September 2019 findet die 11. Berlin Biennale als Prozess im ExRotaprint-Areal in Berlin-Wedding statt. Mit exp. 1, exp. 2 und exp. 3 Es wurde versucht, von den teilnehmenden Künstlern und Projekten, aber ebenso wichtig von der Stadt und den Menschen in Berlin, zu lernen und nachhaltige Beziehungen aufzubauen.

Vom 5. September bis 1. November 2020 bringt der Epilog unter dem Titel The Crack Begins Within diese Erfahrungen mit künstlerischen Positionen aus aller Welt zusammen. Die Künstlerinnen und Künstler haben mit ihren Beiträgen unterschiedliche Wege entwickelt, Solidarität, Verletzlichkeit und Widerstand zu artikulieren.

„Die langsame Eröffnung der 11. Berlin Biennale begann vor einem Jahr und erforscht seitdem die vielen Risse, die wir tragen, die Risse, die uns voneinander trennen, und diejenigen, die uns zusammenbringen. Viele der eingeladenen Künstler und Teilnehmer der Biennale haben dies in ihren eigenen künstlerischen Begriffen, in ihren eigenen Kontexten und Zeitlichkeiten erforscht und praktiziert. Um Raum zu schaffen, um diese Erfahrungen zu teilen, mussten wir das unhaltbare Tempo der Biennalen verlangsamen und auf die Erwartung eines singulären Konzepts, einer neuartigen Idee verzichten, um die Dinge wieder in Ordnung zu bringen.“
–María Berríos, Renata Cervetto, Lisette Lagnado und Agustín Pérez Rubio, Kuratoren der 11. Berlin Biennale; Auszug aus dem kuratorischen Statement.

Wir danken allen Teilnehmern der 11. Berlin Biennale, dass sie dieses Projekt gemeinsam mit uns möglich gemacht haben.

Epilogkapitel
Die Antikirche
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin
Mittwoch–Montag 11–19 Uhr, Donnerstag 11–21 Uhr, Dienstag geschlossen
mehr…

Schaufenster für Dissidentengremien
daadgalerie
Oranienstraße 161, 10969 Berlin
Mittwoch–Montag 11–19 Uhr, Dienstag geschlossen
mehr…

Das umgekehrte Museum
Gropius Bau
Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin
Mittwoch–Montag 10–19 Uhr, Donnerstag 10–21 Uhr, Dienstag geschlossen
mehr…

Das lebende Archiv
11. Berlin Biennale c/o ExRotaprint
Bornemannstraße 9, 13357 Berlin
Mittwoch–Montag 11–19 Uhr, Dienstag geschlossen
mehr…

Eintrittskarten
Da die Gesamtzahl der Besucher*innen der Ausstellung begrenzt ist, können Tickets mit Zeitfenstern für alle Ausstellungsorte nur über unseren Webshop gebucht werden.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass Sie für jeden Veranstaltungsort ein separates Zeitfenster buchen müssen, auch für die kostenlosen.

Öffentliches Programm
Informationen zum öffentlichen Programm der 11. Berlin Biennale werden laufend aktualisiert und sind auf unserer Website zu finden. Bitte beachten Sie, dass aufgrund der Maßnahmen rund um die Covid-19-Pandemie und den damit verbundenen Einlassbeschränkungen alle öffentlichen Veranstaltungen nur begrenzte Kapazitäten haben werden.

Titled We don’t need another hero, the 10th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art is a conversation with artists and contributors who think and act beyond art as they confront the incessant anxieties perpetuated by a willful disregard for complex subjectivities.

Starting from the position of Europe, Germany, and Berlin as a city in dialogue with the world, the 10th Berlin Biennale confronts the current widespread states of collective psychosis. By referencing Tina Turner’s song from 1985, We Don’t Need Another Hero, we draw from a moment directly preceding major geopolitical shifts that brought about regime changes and new historical figures. The 10th Berlin Biennale does not provide a coherent reading of histories or the present of any kind. Like the song, it rejects the desire for a savior. Instead, it explores the political potential of the act of self-preservation, refusing to be seduced by unyielding knowledge systems and historical narratives that contribute to the creation of toxic subjectivities. We are interested in different configurations of knowledge and power that enable contradictions and complications.

Already launched in July 2017, I’m Not Who You Think I’m Not, the public program of the 10th Berlin Biennale, set the tone in a first event that took place in collaboration with the independent educational initiative Each One Teach One (EOTO) e. V. in Berlin. This was followed by a panel discussion in cooperation with the FNB JoburgArtFair in September 2017. The public program disavows assumed beingness and know-hows, perspectives that are often based on existing, constructed social frameworks and their associated speculations about particular subjectivities. Throughout the buildup to the 10th Berlin Biennale until its conclusion in September 2018, the public program creates situations evading these points of view and, at the same time, proposes a refreshed grammar for facing the present.

We don’t need another hero is curated by Gabi Ngcobo with a curatorial team composed of Nomaduma Rosa Masilela, Serubiri Moses, Thiago de Paula Souza, and Yvette Mutumba. It takes place from June 9 to September 9, 2018 at various venues in Berlin.

Read more about the institution and past Berlin Biennale editions.

VENUES
AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE

Akademie der Künste (Hanseatenweg), photo: Timo Ohler
Founded in 1696 as an academic institution, the Akademie der Künste is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Europe. The Akademie has been formed through a membership process, which endures to this day. In its early history the Akademie der Künste foregrounded learning through teaching and exchange among members. Having established itself as a center for national cultural renewal and enlightenment, it gradually assumed its present-day form as a platform for discussions on art and politics. The 10th Berlin Biennale is interested in positioning sociopolitical and historical narratives in conversation with stories that inhabit the expansive archives of the Akademie, the lineage of membership, and the Brutalist architecture of Werner Düttmann from the late 1950s.

The 10th Berlin Biennale exhibition at the Akademie der Künste starts with a temporary structure that introduces historical and visual elements from two heritage sites and one historical figure: Sanssouci, a summer palace built by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia in Potsdam, DE, between 1745 and 1747; Sans-Souci Palace in Milot in Haiti, built by King Henri of Haiti between 1810 and 1813; and Haitian revolutionary leader, Colonel Jean-Baptiste Sans Souci, an enslaved African who led troops in guerrilla fighting against the French in 1791. This conceptual frame underlines the ideological underpinnings of all historical narratives and the institutions that house them.

Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin

KW INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

KW Institute for Contemporary Art, courtesy Tatjana Pieters, photo: Frank Sperling
Founded in the early 1990s, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, KW Institute for Contemporary Art is a space for the production, display, and dissemination of contemporary art. Founded as an association of young people passionate about art, KW and the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art that soon followed were established with the desire to engage with international contemporary art discourses. Throughout the past twenty-six years, KW has been able to construct its own legacy around the people who have shaped its development and those who continue to imagine its future. We don’t need another hero marks an intersection from which we can imagine what the next twenty years of a global-minded contemporary art biennial might look like. The exhibition at this venue begins by introducing viewers to a portrait of a selection of people who have helped define the institution and continues with works that renegotiate inherent hierarchical structures in political spaces, knowledge generating institutions, and personal spaces.

Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin

VOLKSBÜHNE PAVILION

Volksbühne Pavilion, © Volksbühne Berlin
The Volksbühne Pavilion is a glass construction located on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz next to the Volksbühne theater’s main building and situated a short walk away from KW. Previously the pavilion hosted artists’ projects as well as the theater’s bookshop and box office. For the 10th Berlin Biennale the pavilion features an artistic project that considers its historical location of the pavilion and includes a malleable installation open to public participation. Here performances and other durational actions take place over the course of the biennial.

Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 10178 Berlin

ZK/U – CENTER FOR ART AND URBANISTICS

ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, © Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik, 2017
ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics is located on the grounds of a former railroad depot in Berlin’s neighborhood of Moabit. It was initiated and is run by the artist collective KUNSTrePUBLIK. The collective cooperated with the 5th Berlin Biennale in 2008, in which their temporarily installed project Skulpturenpark Berlin_Zentrum also served as a venue. At the time the “park” was an empty plot of land, a former part of the Berlin Wall in the heart of the city—and the object of intense real-estate speculation. The 10th Berlin Biennale reestablishes a dialogue with the collective by inviting selected artists for extended stays in Berlin to work in the studio spaces that form part of ZK/U’s residency program. In their practices these artists investigate how their politicized bodies respond to the inherent systems of power that define the built city environment. Other projects critically examine varied imagined schemas for natural and constructed environments, both present-day and historic.

Siemensstraße 27, 10551 Berlin

HAU HEBBEL AM UFER (HAU 2)

HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU 2), photo: Jürgen Fehrmann
HAU Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin-Kreuzberg unites the three spaces HAU1, HAU2, and HAU3 in an international production house for performing arts. At HAU2 the 10th Berlin Biennale presents two evenings dedicated to an artistic research project that investigates the history of Kwaito, a musical genre that originated in Soweto in post-1994 South Africa. The events take place on June 15 and 16, 2018, two specific dates marking the forty-second anniversary of the 1976 Soweto student uprising, an event that serves as an important reference point for the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall student protest movements that have been ongoing in South Africa since 2016. HAU2 also serves as a site for a temporary exhibition between June 9 and 10 as well as June 13 through June 16, 2018 from 5 to 10 pm.

Hallesches Ufer 32, 10963 Berlin

OPENING HOURS
Wed–Mon 11 am–7 pm
Thu 11 am–9 pm
Tue closed

ADMISSION
Admission all exhibition venues 16 €
Reduced 10 €

Groups of 10 or more, per person 14 €
Groups reduced 8 €

Tickets

MEDIATION
The mediation team for the 10th Berlin Biennale consists of qualified mediators, who create opportunities for diverse audiences to approach contemporary art through collective discussions. At Akademie der Künste, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, and ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, a selection of artistic positions engage visitors in dialogue.

PUBLIC GUIDED TOURS

Public guided tours are in German and can be booked online.

Every Saturday, 2 pm:
Akademie der Künste
Duration: 90 minutes
5 €, reduced 4 €
(Admission not included)

Every Saturday, 4 pm:
ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics
Duration: 60 minutes
4 €, reduced 3 €
(Admission not included)

Every Sunday, 4 pm:
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Duration: 90 minutes
5 €, reduced 4 €
(Admission not included)

Meeting point
Ticket desk at each respective venue

Book guided tour

GUIDED TOURS FOR GROUPS

Tours in English and German can be booked online for groups of up to 20 people.

For tours in other languages and additional questions, please contact:
T +49 (0)30 24 34 59 979
F +49 (0)30 24 34 59 99
visit@berlinbiennale.de

We recommend planning 90 minutes for tours at Akademie der Künste and KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Tours at ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics should last approximately 60 minutes.

Prices
60 minutes: 95 €
90 minutes: 140 €
120 minutes: 185 €
Every additional hour: 90 €
(Admission not included)

Reduction for Students
60 minutes: 85 €
90 minutes: 120 €
120 minutes: 155 €
Every additional hour: 80 €
(Admission not included)

Guided Tours for School Classes and Preschool Groups
60 minutes: 65 €
(Admission included, on request)

Meeting Point
Ticket desk at each respective venue

Book guided tour

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS

Our qualification reflects the interests and concerns of contemporary art practices and unfolds in an alternative teaching and learning environment within the framework of the 10th Berlin Biennale. Offers apply experimental methods within the Berlin Biennale and beyond. Included are the initiation and support of artistic processes in the classroom and in exhibition spaces as well as related reflections.

Prices and duration on request. We are happy to coordinate an appropriate program for your group.

As part of the study week Meeting Cultural Education! with participants from all over Europe, modules in English from September 3–8, 2018 can be booked per day online. Booking and further information here.

For questions about our qualification offers, please contact:
Mona Jas
T +49 (0)30 24 34 59 54
F +49 (0)30 24 34 59 99
visit@berlinbiennale.de

Meeting Point
Ticket desk at each respective venue

GROUP VISITS

Groups of more than 20 people should contact us in advance: visit@berlinbiennale.de or T +49 (0)30 24 34 59 979.

GROUPS WITH INDIVIDUAL GUIDES

Please note that groups accompanied by their own guide must register at visit@berlinbiennale.de or T +49 (0)30 24 34 59 979 and are required to pay a licensing fee of 35 Euro (max. 20 people including guide).

ACCESS
BUS, TRAIN, AND TRAM

Akademie der Künste
Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
S-Bahn S3/S5/S7/S9: Bellevue
U-Bahn U9, Bus 106: Hansaplatz

KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin
S-Bahn S1/S2/S25/S26, Tram M1/M5: Oranienburger Straße
U-Bahn U6: Oranienburger Tor
U-Bahn U8: Weinmeisterstraße

Volksbühne Pavilion
Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 10178 Berlin
S-Bahn S3/S5/S7/S9: Alexanderplatz
U-Bahn U2, Tram M8, Bus 142: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz

ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistic
Siemensstraße 27, 10551 Berlin
S-Bahn S41/S42, Bus 106/123/TXL: Beusselstraße
S-Bahn S41/S42: Westhafen
U-Bahn U9: Birkenstraße

HAU HEBBEL AM UFER (HAU2)
Hallesches Ufer 32, 10963 Berlin
S-Bahn S1/S2: Anhalter Bahnhof
U-Bahn U1/U3/U6: Hallesches Tor
U-Bahn U1/U3/U7: Möckernbrücke
Bus M41: Willy-Brandt-Haus

ESCOOTER AND BIKESHARING

With COUP eScooter sharing service to the 10th Berlin Biennale: new customers may use the code “BIENNALE” for three free 30-minute rides. Download the app and register for free. More information via joincoup.com. Offer valid until September 15, 2018.

Take a Deezer nextbike to all venues: use the code 767076 for a free daily pass. Registration and info: deezernextbike.de or use the app. Offer valid from June 7 until September 9, 2018.

„Langsame Heimkehr“, so der Titel, verweist auf Peter Handkes gleichnamigen Roman von 1984. Was Schriftsteller und bildender Künstler gemeinsam haben, ist der subtile Blick auf gesellschaftliche Themen. Liu wuchs einst mit Propagandabildern auf, bevor ihm im Land der brutalen Umbrüche und Aufbrüche die Lust daran verging. Noch als Student kopierte er Cézanne. So wie der Franzose mit dem Pinsel in der Hand und den Mont St. Victoire vor Augen malte, so wollte auch der Chinese die Situationen schildern. Es geht dem Nachgeborenen nicht um einen platten Realismus der Urbanisierung, sondern um das Individuum in einer konkreten, anti-romantischen Welt.

Das Erstaunliche aber ist, wie genau er die Menschen in ihren einschneidenden sozialen Veränderungen in Panoramenbildern festhält. Seine Vorkämpfer sind Courbet und Manet. In Düsseldorf, wo einst die Düsseldorfer Malerschule Triumphe feierte, wirken die figurativen Bilder wie die Rückkehr in längst vergangene Zeiten. Sie kommen allerdings kaum auf einem hohen Kothurn daher, sondern wirken einfühlsam und von hoher malerischer Qualität. In der Kunsthalle, wo Liu Malerei zeigt, gab es seit langem nicht mehr derart brillante Landschafts- und Genrebilder.

„Das Reisen verschafft mir eine größere Leichtigkeit.“
Liu Xiaodong, Maler

Ge­mein­sam mit dem NRW-Fo­rum Düs­sel­dorf prä­sen­tiert die Kunst­hal­le Düs­sel­dorf die welt­weit ers­te Re­tro­spek­ti­ve des chi­ne­si­schen Ma­lers Liu Xiaodong. Die Dop­pel­aus­stel­lung
mit dem Ti­tel „Lang­sa­me Heim­kehr“ zeigt so­wohl Ma­le­rei als auch Fo­to­gra­fi­en und Fil­me des Künst­lers, der in Chi­na zu den be­rühm­tes­ten Ver­tre­tern der zeit­ge­nös­si­schen Kunst ge­hört.

In sei­nem Œuvre zeigt Liu Xiaodong Mo­men­te und Ge­schich­ten des mensch­li­chen Le­bens so­wie Si­tua­tio­nen und
Land­schaf­ten in ei­ner her­aus­ra­gen­den Un­mit­tel­bar­keit und au­ßer­ge­wöhn­li­chen Em­pa­thie. Ei­ne Fa­mi­lie, ein Flücht­lings­boot, Land­ar­bei­ter oder das Rot­licht­mi­lieu – sei­ne Mo­ti­ve sind man­nig­fal­tig ge­wählt und durch läs­si­ge Pin­sel­stri­che und in­ten­si­ve Far­ben von gro­ßer Le­ben­dig­keit und ei­nem ein­neh­men­den Rea­lis­mus. Als Künst­ler en­ga­giert er sich für die un­ein­ge­schränk­te Viel­falt der Kul­tu­ren und die Di­ver­si­tät der Sub­jek­ti­vi­tät, was ge­le­gent­lich da­zu führ­te, dass er mit dem Sys­tem an­eck­te.

Liu Xiaodong bil­det nur ab, was er mit ei­ge­nen Au­gen sieht, mit der ei­ge­nen Na­se riecht und mit ei­ge­nen Oh­ren hört. Aus­gangs­punkt je­der Ar­beit ist es, Zeit mit den Prot­ago­nis­ten in ih­ren Le­bensum­stän­den vor Ort zu ver­brin­gen, be­vor er sie por­trä­tiert. Die­se par­ti­zi­pa­ti­ve Di­men­si­on sei­ner künst­le­ri­schen Pra­xis, die ihn be­reits nach Ti­bet, Thai­land, Ja­pan, Ita­li­en, Groß­bri­tan­ni­en, Ku­ba, Is­land, Ne­pal und Grön­land brach­te und dem­nächst auch nach Ber­lin führt, wird be­glei­tet von Ta­ge­buch­no­ti­zen und Fo­to­gra­fi­en. Zu­dem ent­ste­hen par­al­lel zu sei­nen Pro­jek­ten Fil­me, die sich den un­ter­schied­li­chen The­men aus der Per­spek­ti­ve des be­weg­ten Bil­des an­nä­hern.

Der Künst­ler be­geg­net dem Frem­den mit größt­mög­li­cher Of­fen­heit, um nicht dem Trug von Kli­schees oder vor­ge­fer­tig­ten Mei­nun­gen zu er­lie­gen. Er ist ein Ma­ler des mo­der­nen Le­bens, der die Fra­ge nach den Be­din­gun­gen des Mensch­s­eins eben­so zum The­ma macht wie die da­mit di­rekt ver­knüpf­ten glo­ba­len The­men wie Be­völ­ke­rungs­ver­la­ge­rung, Um­welt­kri­se und wirt­schaft­li­che Um­wäl­zung.

Die re­tro­spek­ti­ve Dop­pel­aus­stel­lung „Lang­sa­me Heim­kehr“ möch­te ei­nen Ein­blick in die enor­me Kom­ple­xi­tät
des Wer­kes von Liu Xiaodong ge­ben. Die Kunst­hal­le lie­fert hier­bei ei­nen Über­blick über die Ma­le­rei. Das NRW-Fo­rum wid­met sich in ers­ter Li­nie der Fo­to­gra­fie.

Ku­ra­tiert wird die Aus­stel­lung von Heinz-Nor­bert Jocks in Zu­sam­men­ar­beit mit Alain Bie­ber und Gre­gor Jan­sen.

The 52nd of Art Cologne shows its strength with a high quality offer at all levels. And she looks good too.

The Art Cologne has rebuilt, now there is also a “Plaza” on Level 2 of Hall 11, where contemporary art has its appearance. The bunks are sorted around in clusters around it, the top dogs naturally the closest to the center. As for the date, the 52nd edition of the “International Art Market” is better off again, the unfortunate overlap last year with the Berlin Gallery Weekend (this time from 27 to 29 April) is dissolved. This will certainly please the shopping-enthusiastic audience, who have already come to preview and vernissage in Cologne. The fact that the Art Brussels continues to take place in parallel (report on this page), can probably not be avoided; There is the usual announcement that the distance between Cologne and Brussels but easy to bridge.

A total of 243 exhibitors, including around 210 galleries from 31 countries, are gathered this time, the once-crowded exhibition spaces of previous years are once and for all before Daniel Hug took over the show as director ten years ago. This is very nicely reflected on Level 3, where the youngest scene is gathered, in the Neumarkt and Collaborations sectors. All in all, there seems to be a lot of DIY, preferably in zoo and anthropomorphic forms.

In a witty way, Ruttkowski; 68 from Cologne introduces Philip Emde’s installation of large-format drawings in his collection of Steiff monkeys; Gabriel von Max ‘weiland “monkeys as art judges” greet as well as the joy of self-reflection in the art on their own walls (prices from 2700 to 7200 euros). At the gallery PPC, Frankfurt, stand the mutated street signs of Martin Wenzel, like the full post, which refers to a path “Horst” under the title “For Inga”, along with curious explanations of the street name (7800 Euro).

Next to St. Stephan, Vienna, Esther Schipper, Berlin, and Jocelyn Wolff, Paris, with works by Isa Melsheimer, from small gouaches to ceramics to the polished stele, a homage to Mies van der Rohe (2000 to 18,000 euros). Baudach, Berlin, and Van Horn, Cologne, have entered into a cool alliance in matters of “light and shadow, black and white”; Van Horn contributes, among other things, one of the “snake” ceramics of Markus Karstieß (15,500 euros), Baudach a mirror “moon” of the gifted hobbyist Björn Dahlem (40,000 euros).

Stand: Ropac, Halle 11.2

Contemporary art in the best condition
The hall level 2 with the contemporary art is in the best condition. It shows impressively how Art Cologne positions itself as the leading art fair in Germany. Quite for the upper middle class, the clientele is accessible to six-digit height; nothing new in the Rhineland, only the corresponding offer has to be there. Cologne is loyal to what counts and has an international reputation for gallery owners and dealers – and presents works that suit them.

For example, at Klüser, Munich, there are also portrait drawings by Alex Katz (28,500 euros), or Ropac presents funny, completely new works by Erwin Wurm in his stand, stones on their feet. Hauser & Wirth make an appearance for the abstract artist Mary Heilmann, born in 1940 ($ 75,000), and Sprüth / Magers have, in addition to a recent knitting pattern by Rosemarie Trockel and current works by Thomas Ruff, an unprimed feminist statement by Astrid Klein from 2001-02 brought along, with the very true lettering “We never advance one step beyond ourselves” (35 000 euro).

What you would not have expected is that in the offer of Galerie Neu, Berlin, there are drawings by Yves Saint Laurent, among them a magical sheet from 1970/72, on which a “Zizi” is posing, in red and black ink (22 000 euros). Also a good surprise for Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin, is the steel sculpture “Königsberger Gitter” created by the collective Slaves and Tartars. In addition to its visibly beautiful shape, it also requires some spiritual deepening (35,000 euros). Slaves and Tartars had just an exhibition in the Westfälische Kunstverein in Münster, they will soon be seen in the Dresden Albertinum: cool art for thought! This is finally an option again, as shown by Andreas Schmitten, Johann König, Berlin, for example with the table sculpture “Festung” from 2017 (22,000 euros); Schmitten has also arrived at level 11.1, namely at Schönewald, Düsseldorf, which otherwise conveys more established works. In general, the clear demarcations between galleries and the art trade are beginning to dissipate

Fair play
It’s the perennial question: how do you start with a blank canvas and end up with a multimillion-pound product? In just over a decade, Hong Kong’s art market has grown to the third-largest in the world, behind only New York and London. Fairs and galleries have blossomed in the city – and the local and street art scenes are thriving alongside them.

Much of Hong Kong’s art market has its origins in the Art HK art fair, set up in 2008 to spark investor interest in Hong Kong – the perfect location for China’s burgeoning art investors, as well as established western investors with a taste for contemporary Chinese art. The fair was a hit, and in 2013 Art Basel bought out Art HK, propelling it to international prominence. The annual show, this year running 29-31 March, is the keystone of the city’s art calendar – and its success has led a host of other art fairs to grace the city: Art Central is timed to coincide with Art Basel, but aims for a more Asian focus; the twice-yearly Asia Contemporary Art Fair is a far more intimate affair set over several floors of the Conrad Hotel; while May’s Affordable Art Fair is aimed squarely at first-time buyers. Auctions at Sotheby’s and have set global records, trading everything from pink diamonds to Warhols and whiskies.
Meanwhile, the gallery scene is booming, with international blue chip galleries moving into the Central business district: London’s White Cube and New York’s Gagosian and Lehmann Maupin, to name just a few, all occupy the few hundred square meters that mark the city’s most desirable retail real estate.

The brand new H Queen’s tower in the heart of Central is focused on luxury retail and art, with a prominent ground-floor exhibition space and skyscraping galleries from international names including Hauser & Wirth, Pace and David Zwirner. While you’re in the area, the venerable Pedder Building has long been home to some of the city’s most prestigious galleries, and a trip through its corridors can leave behind a score of happy gallerists.

Made in Hong Kong
While the international brands flood in, Hong Kong’s home-grown galleries are also fighting their way up. Once upon a time, the city’s galleries were to be found exclusively around the Hollywood Road strip of arts and antiques stores. But rising rents have forced many farther afield, and the recent opening of the MTR’s South Island tube line is gradually transforming the formerly industrial district of Wong Chuk Hang into a brand new arts hub. Housed in former warehouse buildings, galleries and artists are now able to spread their wings with large-scale installations and exhibitions that were never previously feasible. The South Island Cultural District, as it’s become known, holds the twice yearly South Island Art Day to draw people in to this hive of new, Hong Kong-focused creativity.

The sixth edition of Art Basel Hong Kong is underway with close to 250 galleries representing more than thirty countries and territories staging exhibits. From new work by high-profile artists, to masterpieces by the likes of Picasso and Lichtenstein – a public with a growing appetite for art is sure to be satisfied.

Chinese artist Sanyu tops Paris auction at €6.9m

Sanyu’s Pot of Flowers painting sold for a hammer price of €6.9m (£6.1m) at Aguttes on December 18.
The latest sale of Asian paintings held by Aguttes in Paris was led by a c.1930 work by the Chinese artist Sanyu (1901-66).

Pot of Flowers or Peonies, a signed 3ft x 2ft 5in (92 x 73.5cm) oil on canvas depicting a flowering plant, was consigned from a private collection in the Ile de France region.

It was appearing on the market for the first time and was estimated at €3m-€4m.

The work is listed in the artist’s catalogue raisonné and featured in a Sanyu exhibition in the Netherlands approximately 70 years ago.

The artist (also known as San Yu) was born in Sichuan in 1901 and studied in Japan before moving to Paris in 1920. He exhibited regularly at the Salons d’Automne during his lifetime but interest has also been raised more recently after an extensive retrospective of his work was held at the Musée Guimet in 2004.

Pot of Flowers was deemed an attractive example of his work and it duly brought a number of bidders at the sale held at Hotel Drouot on December 18 and was finally knocked down at €6.9m (£6.1m).

Die Kunst von Ren Hang aus Peking ist nicht einfach Provokation: Zu sehen ist, zwischen den Pixeln, ein Kampf um die künstlerische Freiheit, um die Freiheit, der sein zu dürfen, der man ist. Ohne Scham halten die Menschen, die der 28-Jährige fotografiert hat, ihre Genitalien ins Bild, sie spreizen die Beine, spucken.

Das sind die Bilder von Ren Hang – viel mehr als nur Provokation:

Fast immer ohne Mimik schneiden sie sich ihre Hose so auf, dass der Penis herausfällt, legen sich eine Tulpe so auf den Unterkörper, dass es aussieht, als würde sie der Vagina entwachsen. Ohne Lächeln und ohne Zweifel, regungslos ziehen sie sich aus und zeigen ihre Körper.

Dabei werden auch immer wieder Geschlechterrollen in Frage gestellt, nicht jeder ist hier traditionell Mann oder traditionell Frau. Ein Foto zeigt einen schmalen, weiblichen Körper – doch zwischen den Beinen lässt sich ein Penis erahnen.

Ren Hang fotografiert seit neun Jahren, seit jeher ist er der Fotografieszene bekannt als ein depressiver, scheuer und der Öffentlichkeit fernbleibender Künstler. Er gibt kaum Interviews – und wenn er doch mal mit einem Journalisten spricht, lautet seine Antwort auf fast alle Fragen: “Ich weiß es nicht – und es ist mir egal.”

Auf anderen Fotos balancieren die Menschen am Abgrund der Seele, sie tauchen tief unter in Badewannen, beißen sich aneinander fest, rauchen viel, lassen den Blick schweifen über die Dächer der Stadt.

Ren Hangs Fotos sind brutal direkt. Nicht, weil sie Körperstellen zeigen, die sonst von Kleidung bedeckt sind. Sondern, weil sie auf kompromisslose Weise die bestehende Ordnung stören. Sie wirken, als wolle der Künstler schreien: So sind wir halt, wir Menschen – verschieden, übermütig, immer in Versuchung! Und, übrigens: Es gibt keinen Grund zur Annahme, dass wir verkehrt sind.

Our weekly edition from Art Basel in Hong Kong, including news, analysis, interviews and live reporting from the fair

Hong Kong’s ascendancy as an international art capital is undeniable, and we’ve got the high-profile fairs and events to prove it. Particularly since the launch of Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013, the city has welcomed more and more major art-world players to our shores, adding to an already vibrant local scene in which dozens of galleries exhibit the work of artists from near and far. If you’re keen to start planning your 2018 art adventures, look no further than our list of this year’s most anticipated art fairs.

When: 23–25 March 2016

Art Basel Hong Kong, the city’s biggest art fair, returns once again this March. Brace yourself for the busiest three days of the art world’s entire year, featuring hundreds of exhibitors, not to mention a similar number of cultural events around the city planned to coincide with Art Basel. Newly added to this year’s programme is the ‘Kabinett’ sector, which Art Basel Miami Beach veterans will be familiar with. Participating galleries will be each presenting a curated project in a dedicated area within their booth, which can feature thematic exhibitions, solo shows, and more. Tickets start at HK$180; buy them here.

Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 3128 8288, artbasel.com

It seems a very brief run for such a mighty production effort. This coming week, some 242 galleries from 24 countries across the world will be shipping works of art and people thousands of miles, designing booths, chivvying their artists, organising, curating, sending volleys of tempting publicity to clients. Not to mention the investment that entails. Meanwhile the fair’s organisers will have worked all year to create the framework and apparatus for the galleries’ various activities: everything from lighting to talks programmes and triggering a giant publicity machine.

All for a few short days in these strange modern-day souks. The shorter hours are a great relief to most galleries. Most sales are made, fast and furious, in the first (preview) day or even the first few hours: after that, galleries are effectively putting on a free show for the public whose (substantial) admission moneys go to the fair’s organisers, not to the galleries themselves. Last year a record 70,000 of the general public thronged the Hong Kong convention centre to gaze at the riches on display.

Yes, it’s a fine showcase, but the price points are extremely high and sales in the later days are considerably more sparse, often non-existent. The big buyers have already flown off like migrating birds, while weary gallery staff wait out the last couple of days with aching legs and smile-muscles, doing little more than dust and guard the work.

Though the rewards are great, it’s a risky proposition for all but the very biggest names: not every gallery makes enough sales to cover the mighty costs of attending an event like Art Basel. But the influence of art fairs stretches far beyond their time span and location. While their opening hours get shorter, fairs are looking to extend their reach into their host cities, not only during the fair’s run but around the year.