Kreuzberg

In 2026, the exhibition “Kreuzberg” will be dedicated to the diverse and hitherto largely unrecognized cultural production surrounding the theme of labor migration, showing how artists in Kreuzberg are addressing the tensions and issues of their time.

– Blick auf den Berliner Gropius Bau (Archiv)

There was hardly any place where the social and cultural upheavals in West Germany in the 1960s and 1970s were as evident as in Berlin-Kreuzberg: recruitment agreements with countries such as Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and increasing labor migration brought about small-scale changes that shaped the reality of West Germany.

The Gropius Bau, located in this district, presents over 100 works from film, painting, photography, installation, and performance that focus on the realities of life for migrant workers and subsequent generations and address the struggles for co-determination and equal treatment that remain relevant to this day. With historical and contemporary works by Vlassis Caniaris, Azade Köker, Nuray Demir, Monika Sieveking, and others, the exhibition highlights the international significance of Kreuzberg's cultural production.

Curated by Gürsoy Doğtaş, art historian and creative mediator, Manifesta 16, and Patrizia Dander, deputy curatorial director, Gropius Bau, with Sonja Borstner and Elena Franziska Setzer, assistant curators, Gropius Bau.

Runtime: Thu, 10/09/2026 to Sun, 17/01/2027

Takes place here:

• Gropius Bau