Berlin Art Scene Tour

Dive into Berlin's contemporary art scene with an expert in the field

$317 and up

Private

N/A

Small group

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Art and Museums
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Berlin

Photos & Highlights

Learn about Berlin’s thriving art scene
Led by a local curator or practicing artist
Various contemporary art galleries

Tour Description

Thanks to a thriving and bold artistic community with subversive attitude to spare, Berlin has proven itself a world capital of contemporary art for decades. Since the fall of the Wall in 1989, artists from all backgrounds have been transforming the city’s forgotten spaces into workshops, galleries, and collectives. On this 2.5-hour Berlin art tour we will join a local curator, arts writer, or artist for a broad introduction to the diverse, cutting-edge, and experimental art scene that has brought Berlin international fame.

Berlin Art Tour

With a multitude of museums (from the giants of Museum Island to lesser-known gems), over 300 established contemporary art galleries, and an ever-expanding network of temporary spaces throughout the city, Berlin has clearly established itself as a cultural and creative capital of Europe. In order to find the pulse of the city’s scene, we will spend our walk on Auguststrasse. The original core of Berlin’s artistic community in the early 1990s, it is now home to some of the city’s most prestigious galleries.

In the company of a Context guide—a practicing artist or curator familiar with the scene—we will make our way along Auguststrasse and through its side streets, visiting some of the city's most venerated spaces. Our itinerary will be guided by the current exhibitions as well as our guide’s knowledge of the galleries’ strengths and weaknesses. We'll also tackle some broader questions about the functions of the best art galleries in Berlin.

"What can I say? It was like getting a MFA in three hours. [Our guide] was intelligent, funny and made me look at art in a new way. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed it."

Space to Create

This walk isn't simply a sequence of contemporary galleries, but also explores the history of Berlin as a capital for contemporary art and how its vibrant community of artists shapes the city. We will consider the hype that keeps drawing people here and talk about the many artist-run initiatives and community art spaces that shape the cultural landscape.

Take Aways

Together, we'll see what makes the gallery scene in Berlin different from other art meccas such as New York, Paris, or London. True to its chaotic and revolutionary origins, the Berlin scene is constantly expanding, re-inventing itself, and expanding the purview of contemporary art.

If you're interested in seeing more art, we suggest our Pergamon tour for ancient treasures.

FAQ

Is this tour available during the summer?
Due to gallery closures in July and August, we aren't able to offer this walk in the summer. But we can strongly recommend a custom tour of the Berggreuen Museum to immerse yourself in works by masters like Picasso and Klee, or of the Hamburger Bahnhof to get your fix of German and international contemporary art.

The gallery scene in Berlin's Mitte district is surprisingly high-end. Are there other areas of the city with contemporary art?
Absolutely. We can do custom experiences in other areas of the city. Please inquire at c-europe@contexttravel.com for pricing and availability.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Jason

Jason studied studio art and art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and La Universidad Complutenese de Madrid before living in Spain for many years as an active professional artist. He has exhibited around the United States and Europe in alternative projects, commercial galleries, and museums, with several artworks having been acquired for private collections. In 2006 Jason moved to Berlin where he now lives and works as an artist and organizer for a variety of exhibitions and art-related events. He co-founded and is the art director of the WerkStadt Kulturverein Berlin e.V., a non-profit collective. Additionally, in 2010 he completed a degree at the UdK (Universität der Künste Berlin) in curatorial practice and often helps mount exhibitions in the major museums that dot the urban landscape of the new artistic capital of Europe. He has also participated in installing exhibits at the Neues Museum in Berlin.

Veronica

Veronica Posth is an Art Historian and Dancer based in Berlin. She was born in Florence to Italian-German parents and traveled regularly to the UK. She has a BA in History of Art with a Specialisation in Contemporary Art and a MA in Curatorial Practices. She has worked in numerous, eclectic, artistic environments as a Curator, Writer, Art Liaison, Gallery Assistant, Festival Production Manager and Researcher in Florence, Glasgow, London and Berlin. Her interests range from socio-political art to urban ‘intervention’ to increase awareness about how art and dance can heal and solve personal, social and even global issues. Currently, she mainly works as an Art, Dance Critic, Dramaturge and Co-Choreographer. She is excited to share her passion, knowledge, and interesting stories with visitors on Context tours.

Anita

Anita is a Hungarian visual artist currently based in Berlin. She received her MFA in Painting at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 2011. In 2015 Anita was awarded the Merit Scholarship of Pratt Institute's MFA Program, which enabled her to complete her second master’s degree in New York City. She was also awarded the Hungary Initiatives Foundation Study Scholarship, The Hungarian National Cultural Fund Artist Grant in Rome, The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Artist Award, and The Nerken Scholarship Award of the UJA-Federation of New York. Bordering on abstraction and figuration, her artwork consists of drawings, paintings, and intaglio prints. She has participated in various solo and group exhibitions in Budapest, Rome, New York City, and Berlin.

42 Reviews – (4.52)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

We loved our Berlin Arts Scene Tour with Jasmine! She was very knowledgeable about the current arts scene as well as pre-1989 art scene in both east and west Berlin. We visited some interesting galleries, learned about the n.b.k., artothek, and lots more. All fascinating!

Susan

Nov. 8, 2018

Although the guide was informed smart and a good communicator, his context went way over our heads. A clue was when he inquired if my husband was on the board of a museum. We were interested in seeing a cross section and frequenting many galleries, what little art we saw received modest explanation. His emphasis on the details of the arts scene in history was not to our taste.

Joy

Oct. 20, 2018

We really liked Jasmine and would definitely use her and you again. However, as I've written before, it really would be helpful to have the docent's direct email/telephone number to reach them, in case of our lateness.

Michele

Oct. 19, 2018

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Berlin Art Scene Tour

Participants

Berlin Art Tour

"What can I say? It was like getting a MFA in three hours. [Our guide] was intelligent, funny and made me look at art in a new way. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed it."

Space to Create

Take Aways

FAQ