Berlin's Galleries: Discovering Contemporary Art

Hundreds of Galleries, Almost Always Free

Berlin is one of the most important destinations for contemporary art in Europe. Not because it has the largest art market by volume, but because nowhere else do so many artists live and work. The result: hundreds of galleries showing current work, and admission is free almost everywhere. Anyone wanting to explore contemporary art in Berlin needs no budget to do so.

There are historical reasons for this. The low rents of the 1990s drew galleries and artists from across Europe to the city. What was cheap then remains comparatively affordable today. The result is a density of galleries unmatched by any other German city.

Auguststraße: Berlin's Historic Gallery Mile

Auguststraße in Mitte is the address where Berlin's gallery scene first took root in the 1990s. Galleries moved into vacant courtyards and industrial buildings in what was then the inexpensive Scheunenviertel. Many have stayed.

The KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Auguststraße 69) is the institutional anchor of the mile: a large exhibition space for international contemporary art housed in a former margarine factory. Admission is around 8 euros. Galerie EIGEN+ART (Auguststraße 26) has represented East German and international positions since the early 1990s — admission free. And Galerie Neugerriemschneider, also on this street, shows internationally recognised artists such as Olafur Eliasson, also free of charge.

A Saturday afternoon on Auguststraße — walking slowly along the street, peering into courtyards, stepping into galleries — is one of the most relaxed ways to absorb Berlin art history on foot.

Potsdamer Straße: The New Gallery Mile

Potsdamer Straße and the adjacent Schöneberger Straße in Tiergarten have developed over recent years into the city's second major gallery address. Sprüth Magers, Galerie Thomas Schulte and Galerie Barbara Weiss are all located along this stretch, representing established artists with international reputations. Walking the route on a Saturday morning, you pass six to eight significant galleries in under an hour. All free.

Wedding: Art in Industrial Space

Wedding is not a classic gallery district, but it is home to some of the city's most interesting art spaces. The Uferhallen at Gerichtstraße 23 are a former tram depot spanning 35,000 square metres: today they house studios, production spaces and exhibition rooms for over 150 artists. On certain weekends the studios open to visitors. The exact schedule can be found on the Uferhallen website.

A similar concept in a different district: the Reinbeckhallen in Treptow, Reinbeckstraße 15, another industrial building with studios and galleries.

König Galerie: Art Inside a Church

One of the most remarkable addresses in the Berlin art scene is König Galerie in Kreuzberg, Alexandrinenstraße 118–121. The space is housed in the former St.-Agnes-Kirche, a brutalist concrete building from the 1960s. The gallery represents internationally known artists and regularly stages exhibitions that attract attention well beyond Berlin. Admission is free. The building itself — tall bare concrete walls, a peculiar light falling from above — is architecturally so striking that a visit is worthwhile even if you are unfamiliar with the works on show.

Vernissagen and Berlin Art Week

Anyone who wants not merely to visit galleries but to be part of Berlin's cultural life should keep an eye on Vernissagen. Gallery openings in Berlin are often public — there is wine, and you can see the works without the usual crowds. Most galleries announce their openings on Instagram.

The most important date in the Berlin art calendar is Berlin Art Week in September. Hundreds of galleries hold openings simultaneously, art fairs take place across the city, and Berlin draws an international art audience. If you are in Berlin that week, clear your diary.

• Most galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm
• Sunday and Monday most galleries are closed
• Admission is free almost everywhere, except in institutional spaces such as the KW
• Vernissagen are always public and a great way to make connections

Guests staying in a bevoflats apartment have central gallery districts such as Mitte and Kreuzberg right on their doorstep. Further tips for exploring the city can be found in the Berlin Guide.