Glimpses from Gallery Weekend Berlin: By Julie Quottrup Silbermann

Glimpses from Gallery Weekend Berlin

By Julie Quottrup Silbermann, Director at Nils Stærk

In the role as director at Nils Stærk in Copenhagen, Julie Quottrup Silbermann travels the world throughout the year to explore the ever changing art scene – from the biggest art fairs with thousands and thousands of visitors to intimate studio visits off the beaten tracks. Here, Julie shares her most memorable moments from Gallery Weekend Berlin, which took place in the weekend April 27 – April 29, 2018.

3 GALLERIES TO VISIT 

1. König Galerie 

A few years ago König Galerie took over the monumental former church in the Brutalist style as a gallery. Right now the Swiss artist Claudia Comte presents When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth. An impressive exhibition with 6 m high spruce trees, new sculptures in wood, marble and bronze and a multi-channel video installation.

More information: Koeniggalerie 

2. KOW

The Cuban artist collective Los Capinteros incorporate architecture, design and sculpture – The exhibition El Otro, El Mismo / The Other, The Same is their first German gallery exhibition. The viewer is met by a tall mural in Moroccan clay tiles and large scale drawings.

More information: KOW Berlin

3. Konrad Fischer Galerie 

The former transformer building from 1928 by architect Hans Heinrich Müller will be the future new Berlin gallery building for Konrad Fischer Galerie. But before the renovation the gallery has invited Carl Andre, Manfred Pernice and Lawrence Weiner to take over the space at Neue Grünstrasse 12.

More information: Konrad Fischer Galerie

3 TOP ARTISTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

1. Thomas Struth
It was a great pleasure visiting the studio of the German artist Thomas Struth. His impressive oeuvre and way of believing in photography as a tool of scientific origin for psychological exploration is a true fascination.

On show at Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin

2. Claudia Comte
A powerful female artist working with a chainsaw to carve her wood sculptures. She has a playful expression and is a rising star at the gallery scene.

On show at König Galerie, Berlin

3. Tomás Saraceno
A studio visit to Saraceno is like stepping into a both scientific and poetic universe. He works with interactive installations and floating sculptures. In October he will take over Palais de Tokyo in Paris with a total installation.

EXHIBITIONS/ KUNSTHALLS THAT YOU CAN NOT MISS OUT ON

1. Schinkel Pavillon: The Empty House by Louise Bourgeois
The architecture of Schinkel Pavillon is beautiful and combined with amazing installations from the last two decades of Bourgeois’ life.

Website: Schinkel Pavillon

2. Sammlung Boros
In the monumental Berlin bunker from 1942 behind 3 meter thick walls you will find the art collector Christian Boros’ impressive art collection with numerous works by some of the contemporary art scenes most prominent names. I wish to point out three artists and three art pieces.

• Kris Martin, whose ready-made black split-flap display board hang very high up. No destinations or no time are mentioned on the turning plates, where only the sounds of the black board fill up the raw space.

• A series of works by Sergej Jensen are placed in three different rooms – each room with its own tactility that creates space for reflection in between other of the heavy presentations.

• One of the installations by Yngve Holen is two sets of car lights, that gives the viewer a feeling of being interrogated within the emotional strong effect the bunker has on you.

Website: Sammlung Boros

3. Ngoro Ngoro II
For the second time the 6000 square meter studio space at Lehderstrasse 34 hosted an incredible diverse exhibition of all media in between white cube rooms and trashy graffiti painted dilapidated spaces with artists like Anri Sala, Elmgreen & Dragset, Katharina Grosse; Marlene Dumas, Tim Noble & Sue Webster with their most instagrammed light installation of a turning huge heart.

More information: Ngoro Ngoro

About Julie Quottrup Silbermann

Profile: Director at Nils Stærk
Instagram: @juliesilbermann
Mail: Julie@nilsstaerk.dk
Website: nilsstaerk.dk