From the top: Booth Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Paris: Isabelle Le Minh; Booth Klosterfelde, Berlin: Dan Peterman; Booth Krome Gallery, Berlin and Galleria Fonti Neapel: Lorenzo Scotto Di Luzio; Booth Galerie EIGEN + ART, Berlin: Birgit Brenner; Booth Aurel Scheibler, Berlin: Neil Gall; Booth Tim Van Laere Gallery, Antwerp: Kati Heck; Booth Galerie Crone, Berlin: Norbert Bisky; Booth Wentrup, Berlin: Florian Meisenberg; Booth neugerriemschneider, Berlin: Thaddeus Strode; Booth Sprüth Magers, Berlin/London: Michail Pirgelis; Booth 2P Contemporary Art Hong Kong: Yotaro Niwa; Booth Anselm Dreher, Berlin: John Armleder; Booth Blank Projects, Cape Town: James Webb; photos by Lars B. Petersen and Anneli Botz
This year’s abc art berlin contemporary is off to a good start for the upcoming days: As opposed to the years before, where galleries where asked to respond to a general concept, they now had the chance to present one single position of their repertoire of artists. This concentration pays off: The booths seem less overloaded but more focused and elaborated. Instead of a strict trade fair structure the galleries are arranged in open spaces which generates an unrestrictive, creative atmosphere. The open minded curatorial ambition of the organizing abc team corresponds well with the wide range of international artists and genres displayed at the fair. It was nice to see that many galleries decided to take a chance and use the event to show rather unknown and upcoming artists: Galerie Thomas Fischer exhibits the simplistic works by young Marcel Frey, which seem inspired by the minimalist design of the 80s, but are nonetheless a novelty itself. Berlin-based artist Hugo Canolias is represented by the Italian Galleria Collicaligreggi with one of his large and colour-intensive panels of fabric. Japanese Yotaro Niwa has made some impression with his wood installation that plays aesthetically with the viewer’s conception of stability. Of course some of the more established positions don’t fail to convince either, like Douglas Gordon’s hanging installation of oversized glasses, or Dan Peterman’s cheese tent that won’t go unnoticed to many, also because of the already intense scent evaporating from its inside.
This year’s abc: overall a refreshing cross-section of contemporary art worldwide that is definitely worth a visit.
Art Berlin Contemporary
13—16 September 2012
Station-Berlin
Luckenwalder Strasse 4—6
10963 Berlin
Opening Hours: Friday, 14.09.12 – 12-20h; Saturday, 15.09.12 – 12-19h; Sonntag, 16.09.12 – 12-19h
Ticket: 8/6 Euro
From the top: Booth Egeran Galeri, Istanbul: Nasan Tur; Booth Galerie Thomas Fischer, Berlin: Marcel Frey; Booth Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Franfurt a. M.: Axel Hütte; Booth Galerie Neu, Berlin: Manfred Pernice; Booth Johann König, Berlin: Corinne Wasmuth; Booth Galerie Mikael Anderse, Berlin: Sonja Ferlov Mancoba; Booth Galleria Collicalogreggi, Italy: Hugo Canolias; Booth Grieder Contemporary, Zürich: Dieter Meier; Booth Arndt, Berlin: Chiharu Shiota; photo by Lars B. Petersen and Anneli Botz