It’s been a good couple of years now, but what it is exactly that still makes Berlin the ultimate haven for up-and-coming contemporary artists today? Spilling forth with talent from Prenzlauerberg to Neukölln, the German capital flaunts its reputation for cheeky, creative expression with effortless panache. Running from 17 to 22 September, Berlin Art Week has thus far delivered an exciting programme of talks, exhibitions and performances. We explore BMW’s partnerships with the sixth edition of abc art berlin contemporary as well as the Preis der Nationalgalerie für Junge Kunst (National Art Gallery Prize for Young Artists).
The Preis der Nationalgalerie für Junge Kunst honours artists residing and working in Germany, opening the competition with a group show of four nominees’ work at the Hamburger Bahnhof. After an international jury has made a decision, the winner will have his or her own solo exhibition presented at the Nationalgalerie at one of its six divisions. This year’s nominees are Kerstin Brätsch, Mariana Castillo Deball, Simon Denny and Haris Epaminonda. Deball eventually took home the coveted accolade with her anthropological approach to political knowledge and the production of history.
We chat with the jovial Dr Thomas Girst, Head of BMW Cultural Engagement, about the Preis.
Berlin is indisputably at the forefront of Europe's art and culture scene. In what ways does the Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst shape or build on the city's reputation?
Dr Thomas Girst (TG): “The prize is essential to the international position of Berlin as an artistic hub. It has been around for quite some time, and has seen more artists come than go. If you look at those who have been nominated or who have won, it is certainly astonishing to see how their careers took off after the prize. It’s also historically been linked to Art Forum Berlin, which is no longer in existence. As the mayor said at the opening ceremony of Art Week Berlin, none of these events and things that are happening right now should be considered wholly important in themselves, but they are intricate to the city’s reputation for art. We’re proud of a very “Berlin way of doing things”. There seemed to be hundreds of thousands of people on Auguststrasse at the opening ceremony. I think it’s a combination of different things that makes Berlin such a great breeding ground for great art and vision: cheap studios, high interconnectivity, an open and daring spirit.”
How did the jurors eventually come to decide on the four nominees for the prize? What was it about these artists' works that stood out?
TG: “We rely on a diverse range of museum professionals and curators to make recommendations on who can take away the award. The four finalist-nominees are selected from a group of one hundred artists, and a second panel of judges makes the eventual decision. In my opinion, any prize is as good as its jury – and I want to stress this. We look toward the judgement of some really great people here, including Okwui Enwezor (of the Haus der Kunst in Munich), Luis Pérez-Oramas (MoMa), Tobias Berger (curator at the Museum for Visual Arts in Hong Kong). What we have here is a really international mix of esteemed people who intimately understand artists and artworks. If you look at this year’s nominees, they have all unanimously engaged with many pressing themes that are dear to them but also hold a wider resonance. Epaminonda’s practice is concerned with the socio-political situation in her home country of Cyprus, Simon Denny launches into a critique of the failings of social media. Sure, to work at the intersection of personal and public themes - any artist would claim this for him or herself. But what we look for is a unique vision that spills over into the way they deal with the space given to present their work. The judges look for all sorts of subtleties: metaphor, a transcendent voice.”
This emphasis on the international slant of Berlin Art Week is also reflected in BMW Group’s partnership with abc art berlin contemporary. The latter, which is held at the Station Berlin, is not a typical art fair bustling only with blue chip galleries, but focuses more on individual artists’ practice. As such, visitors gain deeper insight into the artists’ creative development, rather than just admire works at surface level. Maike Cruse, Director of abc, said, " This year's abc got off to a great start, with over 130 galleries showing 122 positions of work and visitors flowing in to the Station. Galleries are coming from 22 countries from across the world for our 6th edition, from Mexico to Cape Town to Jeddah to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. What is also special about this year is that many artists are adding performative or time-based pieces to the show, allowing us to give our audience of collectors, curators and art fans a really special 4 days of work to enjoy. We are also showing over 80 new works including from Ryan McGinley, Ricarda Roggan, and Santiago Sierra. There is also “Upcoming Exhibitions”, a project introduced by Shanaynay (Paris), in which a new exhibition produced and initiated by 14 invited international project spaces will occur every two hours in abc’s entrance area."
Berlin Art Week ends Sunday 22 September.
Images courtesy of the Preis der Nationalgalerie, the artists and the galleries representing them.
