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Berlin Art Week: Auguststrassenfestival

Fridey Mickel was certainly impressed by last night's opening of Berlin Art Week. Read all about it here and stay tuned for more Art Week updates.

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Highlight of Auguststrasse: Johannes Albers and Douglas Gordon at Galerie Michael Fuchs

Last night, Auguststraße was on fire with its opening street festival for Berlin Art Week. The atmosphere was amazing, reminding me of the old opening days of the former Artforum. It made me realize what had been missing since the epic art fair’s demise: a central location where Berlin’s art scene could meet to celebratively usher in the start of fall.

There were so many faces: known and unknown, it was impossible to even enter K.W., me Collectors Room or Eigen + Art. Street vendors and musicians were strewn along the street, as well as a flood of spacey, silver Berlin Art Week bags they were giving away. At times it was a bit overwhelming, but the chance to experience some of the smaller spaces, gave a renewed orientation of how the street still continues to renew itself and develop. 

The absolute, most amazing spectacle was Johannes Albers and Douglas Gordon’s massive light installation at Galerie Michael Fuchs. The definition of space within the back room in the Mädchenschule realized the massive proportions of the former classroom (which never seemed so roomy, or the ceiling so high). The off-gallery Kule Theatre had a makeshift bar staying true to the street’s “roots” of underground art initiatives in the early 1990s. Galerie Naimah Schütter’s elegant showroom with exquisite paintings from Egyptian artist Khaled Hafez, and beautiful lighting gave a great energy and was a haven of refuge from the throngs outside on the street.

Berlin Art Week has arrived!