Tour Details
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
- Various contemporary art galleries
Photos & Highlights
- Learn about Berlin’s thriving art scene
- Led by a local curator or practicing artist
Select a date
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 3-hour Berlin art tour, a local curator, arts writer, or artist will hand pick a selection of galleries and provide an 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 an 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 pushing the purview of contemporary art.
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.
Due to gallery closures in July and August, we aren't able to offer this walk in the summer.
Where You'll Start
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53 Reviews
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Jason is a very knowledgable artist and curator who is an active member of Berlin's contemporary art scene. Our trip included an excellent commentary on the art scene in Berlin since the fall of the Berlin Wall with visits to four galleries within walking distance of our meeting place. Jason made the is experience come alive through his wide experience as a practicing artist and development of co-op centres for collaborative work, and referencing the work of individual artists to the trends in the field.
One must have a strong interest in the contemporary arts to full appreciate this specialized tour.
Doug
Oct 10, 2017
Excellent walk - probably the best one in Berlin. So personalized and some really special treats for us - meeting the gallery owners, an artist, etc.
Rick
Jun 4, 2017
We really enjoyed walking the neighborhood and getting some sense of the post 1989 transition of this area. We expected (through no fault of yours) that we'd visit more local artist studio buildings. I'm not sure why we expected that (maybe our hometown art experiences.) This art scene can be explained more by Berlin's entry into the international gallery scene (vs local artist driven). Also, FYI, we had a couple follow up questions for Jason and he answered in a nice long email. Thanks!
Kristin
May 22, 2017
