30 Years in Images
Founded on July 1, 1991 by Klaus Biesenbach, Alexandra Binswanger, Philipp von Doering, Clemens Homburger, and Alfonso Rutigliano, KUNST-WERKE BERLIN e. V. finds its roots in a derelict former margarine factory located on Auguststraße 69 in the Berlin-Mitte district.
Since organizing the innovative exhibition project 37 Räume in 1992, artistic director Klaus Biesenbach continued to bring the institution to critical acclaim both nationally and internationally by organizing ground-breaking exhibitions and initiating in 1996 the now widely renowned Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. Following in Biesenbach’s footsteps, Gabriele Horn took over the directorship of KW’s two institutional branches, KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale, in 2004, driving and assuring the durable restructuring of the institution in 2016. While Gabriele Horn remained director of the Berlin Biennale, Krist Gruijthuijsen was appointed as new director of KW Institute for Contemporary Art in July that year, since then a leading figure in further refining the institution’s local and international profile.
Over the years, the program of KW has been developed together with decisive curatorial voices, amongst others Anselm Franke, Susanne Pfeffer, Ellen Blumenstein, and Anna Gritz.
On this site, you will find glimpses of the three decades of KW and the Berlin Biennale.
Courtyard of Kunst-Werke Berlin e.V., 1991. Photo: Uwe Walter
Katharina Sieverding, Deutschland wird deutscher, 1993, as part of the exhibition Katharina Sieverding. Deutschland wird deutscher by Kunst-Werke Berlin, 1993; Courtesy the artist and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn; Photo: Jens Ziehe
Joseph Kosuth, Berlin Chronik at Schönhauser Tor as part of the exhibition Joseph Kosuth. Berlin Chronik at Kunst-Werke Berlin, 1994; Courtesy the artist; Photo: Jens Ziehe
Contact sheet of portraits of the curators of the 1st Berlin Biennale (from left to right): Hans Ulrich Obrist, Klaus Biesenbach, Nancy Spector, 1998, Photos: Jens Ziehe
Marienbad, Zimmer 001, eternally closed and opened the door, installation view of the exhibition Hotel Marienbad at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2008; Photo: Uwe Walter
From left to right: Ceal Floyer, Wish you were here, 2008; Landscape Portrait, 2002; Watercolour, 2004; installation view of the exhibition Ceal Floyer. show at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2009; Courtesy Esther Schipper and About Change Collection; Photo: Uwe Walter
Petrit Halilaj, The places I’m looking for, my dear, are utopian places, they are boring and I don’t know how to make them real; installation view of the 6th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2010; Courtesy the artists; Photo: Uwe Walter
Facade of Kunst-Werke Berlin, approx. 1996; Photo: Albrecht Grüß
Absalon, Disposition, 1990; installation view of the exhibition Absalon at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2010, Courtesy; Collection du Fonds régional d’art contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon; Photo: Uwe Walter
Stills during the shooting of Hausfrau Swinging, 1998, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Christoph Schlingensief, Bitte liebt Österreich – Erste Österreichische Koalitionswoche, 2000, installation view at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2013; Photo: Uwe Walter
Christoph Schlingensief, Church of Fear, 2003; installation view at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2013; Courtesy Hauser & Wirth; Photo: Uwe Walter
Monica Bonvicini in her studio at Kunst-Werke Berlin, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Photographer unknown
Installation view of the exhibition by Bodo Schlack at Kunst-Werke Berlin, 1996, Courtesy the artist, Photo: Bodo Schlack
Construction of Café Bravo according to designs by Dan Graham in the courtyard of Kunst-Werke Berlin,1998; Photo: Albrecht Grüß
Piotr Uklański: Untitled (Fist), 2007, Courtesy Piotr Uklański, Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Milan; Daniel Knorr, Nationalgalerie, 2008, Courtesy Daniel Knorr; Installation view of the 5th Berlin Biennale at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin 2008; Photo: Uwe Walter
Bodo Schlack, Untitled, 1995, Courtesy Bodo Schlack
Monica Bonvicini in her studio at Kunst-Werke Berlin, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Photographer unknown
Courtyard of Kunst-Werke Berlin, approx. 1996; Photo: Albrecht Grüß
Courtyard of Kunst-Werke Berlin, approx. 1996; Photo: Albrecht Grüß
Courtyard of the former liquor factory, Berlin 1993, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Photo: Monica Bonvicini
![<p>Dineo Sheshee Bopape, <em>Untitled (Of Occult Instability)</em> [Feelings], 2016–18; Jabu Arnell, Discoball X, 2018; Lachell Workman, Justice for_______, 2014; Robert Rhee, <em>EEEERRRRGGHHHH</em> und <em>ZOUNDS</em> (both from the series Occupations of <em>Uninhabited Space</em>, 2013–ongoing), 2015; Installation view of the 10th Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2018; Courtesy Dineo Seshee Bopape; Jabu Arnell; Lachell Workman; Mo Laudi; Robert Rhee; Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg/Beirut; Photo: Timo Ohler</p>](https://www.kw-berlin.de/files/bb10-dineo-sheshee-bopape_08-1.jpg)
Dineo Sheshee Bopape, Untitled (Of Occult Instability) [Feelings], 2016–18; Jabu Arnell, Discoball X, 2018; Lachell Workman, Justice for_______, 2014; Robert Rhee, EEEERRRRGGHHHH und ZOUNDS (both from the series Occupations of Uninhabited Space, 2013–ongoing), 2015; Installation view of the 10th Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2018; Courtesy Dineo Seshee Bopape; Jabu Arnell; Lachell Workman; Mo Laudi; Robert Rhee; Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg/Beirut; Photo: Timo Ohler
Cécile B. Evans, What the Heart Wants, 2016; Endurance Study – A Pictorial Guide I, II, III, 2016; Endurance Study – A Pictorial Guide I, II, III, 2016; Handy if you’re learning to fly I, II, 2016; Installation view of the 9th Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2016; Courtesy Cécile B. Evans; Barbara Seiler, Zürich / Zurich; Galerie Emanuel Layr, Wien / Vienna; Private Collection; Photo: Timo Ohler
Andreas Angelidakis: Crash Pad, 2014; Installation view of the 8th Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2014; Courtesy Andreas Angelidakis and The Breeder, Athens/Monaco; Photo: Uwe Walter
Cyprien Gaillard, The Recovery of Discovery, 2011; installation view of the exhibition Cyprien Gaillard. The Recovery of Discovery at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2011; Courtesy the artist; Photo: Josephine Walter
Ian Wilson, A discussion in context of an exhibition, March 8, 9 and 10, 1978, Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, DE, Opening Hours: Tuesday–Friday 2–7 pm, Saturday 11 am–2 pm, Organizer: Rüdiger Schöttle, Collection: Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, DE (1978), Individual and group discussions; installation view at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2017; Photo: Frank Sperling
Judith Hopf, Stepping Stairs, 2018, with the team of KW Institute for Contemporary Art 2019, Courtesy the artist; Photo: Frank Sperling.
David Wojnarowicz, A Fire in My Belly, 1986-1987, still from Super 8 film,
Installation view of the exhibition David Wojnarowicz Photography & Film 1978-1992 at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2019; Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York; Photo: Frank Sperling
Hassan Sharif, installation view of the exhibition I Am The Single Work Artist at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2020; Courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation Collection; Photo: Frank Sperling
Monica Bonvicini, installation view of the exhibition The Corners of Life or on a Perspective Architecture of Truth at Kunst-Werke Berlin, 1994, curated by Thomas Wulffen; Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Photo: Monica Bonvicini
Hanne Lippard, Flesh, 2016; Installation view at KW Institute for Contemporary Art; Courtesy the artist and LambdaLambdaLambda, Prishtina; Photo: Frank Sperling
Akira Suzuki, Selfbuild Shelter, 28 / 29 / 02 / 04; Installation view of the 3rd Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2004; Photo: Werner Maschmann
atelier le balto, Archipel, 2017; Courtesy atelier le balto; Foto: Frank Sperling
Press conference of the poster campaign Deutschland wird deutscher at Kunst-Werke Berlin, 30.04.1993: (f.l.t.r.) W. Herzogenrath, K. Biesenbach, U. Roloff-Momin, K. Sieverding, V. Görner, J. Merkert, K. Herrfurth; Courtesy the artist and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn; Photo: Bettina Keller
Lynn Hershman Leeson, First Person Plural, the Electronic Diaries of Lynn Hershman, 1984-96 (in four parts); installation view in the exhibition First Person Plural at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2018; Courtesy the artist; Photo: Frank Sperling
Monica Bonvicini and Johannes Kahrs in the courtyard of Kunst-Werken Berlin, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Photographer unknown
Jimmy Robert, Joie noire, performance with Courtney Henry at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2019; Courtesy the artists; Photo: Frank Sperling
Exhibition view of contributions by Carsten Höller, Vibeke Tandberg, and Daniel Pflumm at KW Institute for Contemporary Art; 1st Berlin Biennale, 1998; Photo: Bettina Blümner
Beatriz González; installation view in the hallway of the exhibition Retrospective 1965–2017 at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2018; Courtesy the artist; Photo: Frank Sperling
Bert Neumann: Dating Agency, 2002, Installation view of the 3rd Berlin Biennale at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2004; Photo: Werner Maschmann
Installation view of the exhibition Reza Abdoh at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2019, Photo: Frank Sperling
Anna Daučíková, installation view in the exhibition Kunstpreis der Schering Stiftung 2018: Anna Daučíková at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2019; Courtesy the artist; Photo: Frank Sperling
Yazan Khalili, Medusa, 2020, installation view of the exhibition Mophradat’s Consortium Commissions: Jasmina Metwaly & Yazan Khalili at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2020, Courtesy the artist and Mophradat, Photo: Frank Sperling
Installation view in the exhibition The Making of Husbands: Christina Ramberg in Dialogue at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2019; Courtesy the artists; Photo: Frank Sperling
Installation view of Leonilson. Drawn 1975–1993 at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2020; Courtesy Projeto Leonilson; Photo: Frank Sperling
Amelie von Wulffen, Installation view of the exhibition Amelie von Wulffen at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2020, Courtesy the artist; Photo: Frank Sperling
Kai Althoff and Lutz Braun: Kolten Flynn, 2006; Installation view of the 4th Berlin Biennale at Office in Plattenbau, Auguststraße 44, front house, ground floor, Berlin 2006; Courtesy the artists; Photo: Uwe Walter
Markus Muntean and Adi Rosenblum: Where Else, 2000, Installation view of the 2nd Berlin Biennale at Postfuhramt Berlin; Photo: Werner Maschmann
Ayse Erkmen: Eurora, 2001; Alicia Framis: Minibar (Just for Women Only), 2000/2001; Installation view of the 2nd Berlin Biennale at Postfuhramt Berlin, 2001; Photo: Jens Liebchen
Stills during the shooting of Hausfrau Swinging, 1998, Courtesy Monica Bonvicini and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Berlinde De Bruyckere: lichaam (corpse), 2006; Installation view of the 4th Berlin Biennale at Old Garrison Cemetery, Berlin 2006; Courtesy Berlinde De Bruyckere; Galleria Continua, San Gimignano / Beijing; Hauser & Wirth, Zurich / London; Photo: Uwe Walter
Facade of Kunst-Werke Berlin, approx. 1996; Photo: Albrecht Grüß
Courtyard of Kunst-Werke Berlin, approx. 1996; Photo: Albrecht Grüß