Freiraum Kunst: Akademie der Künste goes Bellevue

Starting in mid-June, the Academy of Arts will host a two-week pop-up gallery at Bellevue Palace, transforming the Federal President’s official residence into a temporary venue for the arts.

As the residence of the head of state, Bellevue Palace is a symbol of our liberal democracy—and thus not a neutral exhibition space. The artworks are deliberately placed in a tense relationship with the site, which stands for liberal, democratic representation and political symbolism. This unique exhibition is made possible because Bellevue Palace must be cleared out prior to its renovation, and the President of the Federal Republic is making the temporarily vacant spaces available to the arts. The building itself thus becomes the actual exhibit. In its cleared state, it appears as a historical and political space. The artistic contributions respond to this context. They can engage with it, shift its meaning, and open up new interpretations. 

The following members of the Academy of Arts, among others, are participating in the exhibition: Rosa Barba, Carola Bauckholt, Ann Cotten, Alexandra Bircken, Monica Bonvicini, Jürgen Böttcher, Katja Erfurth, Ayşe Erkmen, Jochen Gerz, Katharina Grosse, Hanna Hartman, Bjørn Melhus, Boris Mikhailov, Karin Sander, Matthias Sauerbruch, Hanns Schimansky, Gregor Schneider, Chiyoko Szlavnics, Wolfgang Tillmans. The project’s initiators are also participating: Christian Awe, El Bocho, and Christopher Lehmpfuhl. 

The overall curation is led by Anh-Linh Ngo, Vice President of the Academy of Arts, and Cécile Wajsbrot, Deputy Director of the Literature Section. The “Office of Public Affairs,” curated by Academy President Manos Tsangaris, is an artistic-discursive format that functions as an open space where artistic perspectives break down social polarization.

Hours: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Free admission with a time-slot ticket (available for booking starting May 18, 2026, on the Academy of Arts website)

Runtime: Sat, 13/06/2026 to Sun, 28/06/2026

Takes place here:

• Schloss Bellevue