In the realm of contemporary art, Berlin truly stands alone. Not for it’s elite galleries or multi-million dollar art fairs stuffed with business tycoons and billionaire collectors, but for its truly real, raw emerging artists and avant garde art spaces. In a city where an elaborate street painting can garner more attention than a big-name art auction, a traditional art fair such as Switzerland’s Art Basel simply does not fit the profile. Which is exactly why the creators of Preview Berlin Art Fair, which takes place at Tempelhof Airport during Berlin Art Week this year, wanted to create a different kind of arena in which even unheard of artists could have a chance to show their work to the public.

Since the fair first started in 2005, it has been in a continuous state of evolution. This year looks to be the most thrilling yet with 57 international galleries, 11 project spaces, and 8 art academies from 14 countries participating in this year’s fair, and the first ever addition of solo exhibition walls. But with so much to see and do, how can one decide?  Don’t worry, we are here to help. Here are some highlights and fun facts to get you psyched for this year’s event.

(1) The Party Crashers – The artist group Fame will crash the ASPN Gallery booth with a VW Golf 1. Postwurf.org also has plans to hijack an art collection, smuggling a remote touchscreen terminal into it. Even though it might be taking away the element of surprise a little bit, the shenanigans will still surely be nothing short of epic.

(2) A Little Latin Flavor – The gallery LEM-Art from Colombia and Terreno Baldio Arte from Mexico, the group behind the three recent monuments in in the Plaza de Santo Domingo in the Historic Center of Mexico City. 

(3) Beyond Babushkas – The best of Eastern Europe is set to show at this years fair. In addition to Maksla XO from Riga, which will exhibit a massive fluorescent sculpture, the Warsaw-based Program Art Gallery and Starter Gallery and Nasui private collection & gallery from Bucharest will present their work.

(4) LEGOS for Grown-ups – Workshops, exhibitions, lectures and performances all geared toward artists experimenting with LEGO blocks as a new medium at LEGO ® Art Box.

(5) Big in Japan – Frantic Gallery presents for the first time three up-and-coming artists: Makoto Sasaki, Macoto Murayama, and Atsushi Takahashi who depicts the human mind in state of suspension between clarity and obscurity, sometimes expressed in the unfocused gaze of a new-born child or the blurred consciousness of old people. 

 Tempelhof Airport Preview Berlin Art Fair. September 14th – 16th 2012: 1-8pm.

Article written by Kirsten Hall

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