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A Guide To The Must-See Exhibitions At This Year’s Berlin Gallery Weekend

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Berlin’s favorite art event is imminent; and as the countdown begins, we’ve enlisted the some of the city’s most interesting creative people to guide you through this year’s Gallery Weekend (April 26-28, 2019).

What began in 2004 as a private initiative by galleries in Berlin has become one of Germany’s leading art events, giving collectors and enthusiasts alike the chance to spend a weekend visiting some of the city’s most interesting galleries. It is an event that capitalizes on Berlin’s enigmatic art world, and while many cities around Europe have attempted to replicate its model, few have achieved the same level of success. With 2019 marking Gallery Weekend’s 15th anniversary, and with over 50 galleries listed as part of the event, those interested in art have a busy weekend ahead of them. To assist with decision making, we spoke to Johann König, Alexander Levy, Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, Maurin Dietrich, Nele Heinevetter and Nadim Julien Samman, to find out what you cannot afford to miss in Berlin this Gallery Weekend.

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JOHANN KÖNIG

Renowned Berlin art dealer and gallerist, Johann König – of the eponymous König Galerie, shared three recommendations with IGNANT. His first, ‘Mischpoche’ by Andreas Mühe: The exhibition is showing at Hamburger Bahnhof, and continues Mühe’s examination of German history, and the relation of such collective history to his own. The second, Jeppe Hein at König’s own gallery space on Dessauer Straße. While many exhibitions continue beyond the weekend, this show is only on for three days, providing what König calls “a rare opportunity to witness the artist’s process”. The third, an overview of famed Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov at CO Berlin. Consisting of over 400 photographs, ‘Before Sleep / After Drinking’ coincides with the 80th birthday of Mikhailov, and does much to illustrate the significance of his work chronicling everyday life in a (post-) Soviet society.

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Andreas Mühe, Vater, 2017, image © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2018

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Studio View: Jeppe Hein, ‘Behind Hein’ (2019), image © Studio Jeppe Hein & Runa Huber

Untitled, from the series I am not I, 1992 © Boris Mikhailov . VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2019

Boris Mikhailov, ‘Untitled, asS I am not I’ (1992), image © Boris Mikhailov. VG Picture Art, Bonn 2019

ALEXANDER LEVY

Alexander Levy, who opened his gallery on Rudi-Dutschke-Straße in January 2012, offered IGNANT his advice on must-see exhibitions from the weekend. The first at Dittrich & Schlechtriem from French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière, whose genre-bending work draws together cultural history and environmental science. The second, Raphaela Vogel’s ‘Vogelspinne’, a solo show from the German artist that is opening tonight (Friday, 26 April) at 6 pm at BQ Berlin. The third, a solo exhibition titled ‘HAUS’ from famed Swiss artist duo Fischli Weiss. Opening at Sprüth Magers on the 26th, this exhibition focuses on the architectural reference system that sits at the heart of the pair’s collaborative work, ongoing since the 1980s.

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Julian Charrière, ‘Untitled (The Diver)’ (2019), image © Julian Charrière/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2018

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Raphaela Vogel, video still from ‘Music Lost It’s Time’ (2019), courtesy BQ, Berlin and Raphaela Vogel

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Peter Fischili/David Weiss, ‘How to Work Better’ (2016), image © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York. Courtesy Sprüth Magers. Photo: David Heald

GONZALEZ HAASE - AAS ARCHITECTS

Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, founders of famed spatial design and architecture studio Gonzalez Haase – AAS Architects, let us in on their picks for the weekend. The first opens this evening at Galerie Nordenhake: “We love Rémy Zaugg for many reasons: for his art, for his writing”. The second, avant-garde photographer Ilse Bing at Galerie Berinson – a gallery that specializes in early 20th-century art. “We love the choice of the gallery as it is a great introduction to the understanding of how the arts have developed”, the pair explains. “A classic choice and a female artist.” Their final selection is Rick Owens at Andreas Murkudis; an exhibition of a different sort – this time in the form of a fashion pop-up store. Gonzalez and Haase call Owens, “an artist of his own kind”.

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Rémy Zaugg, ‘STELL DIR VOR / ICH ÖFFNE / DIE AUGEN / UND DIE WELT SIEHT / MICH’ (1998/99), image © Art Basel

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Ilse Bing, ‘Street Cleaner, Paris’ (1947), image © Estate of Ilse Bing

Rick Owens Furniture Finally Comes to Germany

Rick Owens, ‘Single Prong Camel’ (2016), image © Owenscorp

MAURIN DIETRICH

Maureen Dietrich, a founder of Fragile and a curator at KW, gave us a bountiful selection of thoughtful suggestions. The first, ‘Yeki Bud Yeki Nabud’ from German-Iranian artist Nigin Beck at Ashley. Dietrich praised both the artist and the gallery, describing their program as “bold, focused and much needed”. The second, David Wojnarowicz at KW – an exhibition that is both political and personal, showing a body of work that was “as conceptually rigorous as it was stylistically diverse”. The third, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger at Galerie Barbara Weiss. An exhibition comprised of works that “thematically… address the threshold between past, present and future technologies”. The fourth, conveniently located beside Galerie Barbara Weiss, is Pieter Schoolwerth’s ‘Virtual Relief’ at Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler. The fifth and final suggestion, Veit Laurent Kurz’s ‘Nutrition and Drama’, a solo exhibition at Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi opening tonight (the 26th of April).

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Nigin Beck, ‘Yeki Bud, Yeki Nabud' (2019), courtesy Ashley Berlin and Nigin Beck

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Andreas Sterzing, ‘David Wojnarowicz (Silence = Death)’ (1989), courtesy the Estate of David Wojnarowicz and P·P·O·W, New York

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Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, work from the exhibition ‘Deep Adaptation’ (2019), courtesy Galerie Barbara Weiss and Frieda Toranzo Jaeger

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Pieter Schoolwerth, ‘Personality Inventory #2’ (2018), image © Art Basel

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Exhibition view: Veit Laurent Kurz, ‘Nutrition and Drama’ (2018), courtesy Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi and Veit Laurent Kurz

NELE HEINEVETTER

Art historian, and co-founder of niche, Nele Heinevetter shared her advice for those walking the streets of Berlin this weekend. The first, Raphaela Vogel’s ‘Vogelspinne’ at BQ: an exhibition that uniquely combines performance, film, and sculpture, and which opens tonight (April 26th). The second, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger’s ‘Deep Adaptation’ at Galerie Barbara Weiss; an exhibition exploring technology across different mediums. The third at ChertLüdde, from Berlin-based, Venezuelan-born artist Sol Calero and Conglomerate, an artist collective comprised of Sol Calero, Ethan Hayes-Chute, Derek Howard, Christopher Kline and Dafna Maimon. The fourth is Nigin Beck’s ‘Yeki Bud Yeki Nabud’, a title that translates to mean One was there and on was not there, or  There was one and there wasn’t one’—a common opening line to Iranian fairy tales.

Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, work from the exhibition ‘Deep Adaptation’ (2019), courtesy Galerie Barbara Weiss and Frieda Toranzo Jaeger

Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, work from the exhibition ‘Deep Adaptation’ (2019), courtesy Galerie Barbara Weiss and Frieda Toranzo Jaeger

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Sol Calero, ‘Interiores’ (2017), courtesy Chert Lüdde and Sol Calero

NADIM SAMMAN

Curator, art historian and co-founder of the first Antarctic Biennale (2017) Nadim Samman kindly gave us his selection of unmissable exhibitions from the upcoming weekend. The first, ‘Second Suns’ from Berlin-based conceptual artist Julian Charrière at Dittrich & Schlechtriem. The second, Fabian Knecht’s performative exhibition ‘Bruch’—a title that translates from German to mean fracture, failure, break, fissure—at Alexander Levy Gallery. The third, at ChertLüdde, from Sol Calero and artist collective Conglomerate: ‘Archivos Olvidados’ and ‘The Host Eats a Lot Then Gives Birth to Himself’ respectively, and Juan Antonio Olivares’ ‘Vespula Vulgaris’ at Bungalow.

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Julian Charrière, ‘Untitled (The Diver)’ (2019), image © Julian Charrière/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2018

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Fabian Knecht, work from the exhibition ‘Bruch’ (2019), courtesy of Alexander Levy and Fabian Knecht

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Sol Calero, ‘Interiores’ (2017), courtesy Chert Lüdde and Sol Calero

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