Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Junge Wilde (Young Wild Ones). One of the best-known German neo-expressionist painters
is Georg Baselitz, who lives in Berlin and who became internationally famous in the 1970s
with his 'upside-down' works.
Art-world honchos descend upon Berlin in late April for the annual Gallery Weekend when
you can hopscotch around 40 galleries, and the Berlin Biennale, a curated forum for con-
temporary art held over two months in spring every other year.
The Present
Art aficionados will find their compass on perpetual spin in Berlin, which has developed
one of the most exciting and dynamic arts scenes in Europe. With an active community of
some 10,000 artists, there have been notable successes, most famously perhaps Danish-
Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Other major leaguers like Thomas Demand, Jonathan
Meese, Via Lewandowsky, Isa Genzken, Tino Seghal, Esra Ersen, John Bock and the artist
duo Ingar Dragset and Michael Elmgreen all live and work in Berlin, or at least have a
second residence here.
Berlin has also emerged as a European street-art capital with some major international
artists like Blu, JR and Os Gemeos leaving their mark on the city. Local top talent includes
Alias and El Bocho. Street art is especially prevalent in eastern Kreuzberg (especially
around the U-Bahn station Schlesisches Tor) as well as in Mitte (Haus Schwarzenberg) and
at the Urban Spree gallery in Friedrichshain.
To keep a tab on the contemporary art scene, check out the latest shows at the city's
many high-calibre galleries such as Galerie Eigen+Art or Contemporary Fine Arts and vis-
it the collections at Hamburger Bahnhof and the Sammlung Boros.
