OPEN HOUSE at the Berlin Social Artists' Support Center in Mariendorf

Invitation to the Preview: Friday, 26 June 2026, 2–5 pm

Around 15,000 artworks by more than 2,000 artists, acquired by the Berlin Senate between 1951 and 2003 as part of the Social Art Funding of Berlin, are currently being researched and developed by the Stiftung Archiv der Sozialen Künstlerförderung Berlins under the umbrella of Stadtmuseum Berlin.

The art depot in Berlin-Mariendorf opens its doors and offers insights into the collection and the questions emerging from its ongoing review: How can such a historically evolved collection be reinterpreted and made visible today? What stories of the city and its inhabitants does it tell? And what role did the funding programme play in shaping Berlin’s cultural landscape?

At the centre of the Open House is the exchange with those involved in the project. Advisory board members, artists and project collaborators will be present and invite visitors to conversations and guided tours through the depot. Among those participating are Sophie Plagemann, Thomas Köhler, Gabriele Horn, Thomas Florschuetz, Steffen Färber and Elke Kimmel. Klaus Lederer, during whose term in office the project was initiated, is also expected to attend.

The Open House is conceived as an invitation to look behind the scenes and to engage in discussions about the perspectives, potentials and future forms of visibility of this exceptional collection.

A striking aspect of the collection is the high proportion of female artists, accounting for around 40% of the funded works. Among them are Dorothy Iannone, Evelyn Kuwertz, Ewa Partum, Andrea Pichl, Sarah Schumann and Monika Sieveking. Hannah Höch received support at an early stage and later served on the jury for several years. The collection also includes works by artists such as Georg Baselitz, Micha Brendel, Markus Lüpertz, Marwan and Wolf Vostell.

» Please register by 8 June here

The project team will be present on site: Project management: Julia Rust von Krosigk
Researchers: Anna Bittner and Jenny Dirksen

The Stiftung Archiv der Sozialen Künstlerförderung Berlins was established jointly with the Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales under the umbrella of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin in order to preserve, research and make the collection accessible in the long term. Christine Heidemann, responsible for the dependent foundations and curator for contemporary art, and Sebastian Ruff, Head of Collections at Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, will also be present.