27.01.2026 | Press release by bbk berlin: First press breakfast hosted by bbk berlin and its subsidiary kulturwerk
Berlin adorns itself with culture, but leaves art to starve.
On Monday morning, spokespersons for bbk berlin highlight the far-reaching consequences of the cuts and emphasize what is at stake in the long term: fair working conditions, secure spaces, and genuine participation for visual artists.
Despite the budget growing by four billion euros to 44 billion euros for 2026/27, the culture budget is shrinking to just under two percent. This is the smallest culture budget in a long time. These cuts exacerbate the precarious situation of visual artists in Berlin, where the gender pay gap stands at 28.44 percent (above the national average of 25%, KSK data 01/2025) and many face the threat of poverty in old age.
Frauke Boggasch, co-spokesperson of bbk berlin, criticizes: “I don’t understand the shortsightedness of politics. Berlin has no industry. This city lives from art and culture. And it adorns itself with them.”
Birgit Cauer, also co-spokesperson of bbk berlin, adds: “It is well documented that investments in art and culture pay off: Every euro invested contributes to the city society and its future viability. Studies show that every public euro in the cultural sector can generate between around 1.7 and over 5 euros in added value.”
The two spokeswomen also addressed the cuts in the morning that burden visual arts: The FABiK (Fund for Exhibition Remuneration in Municipal Galleries, fought for in 2016 with binding guidelines) was completely suspended in 2025 and cut from 650,000 to 500,000 euros in 2026. Both scholarship programs are being discontinued, and artistic research is being set to zero. The bbk berlin is also advocating for legal and social protection mechanisms. A planned and parliamentarily approved trust office against abuse of power and sexual discrimination in 2023 was not implemented.
In order to provide expert insight into the recent budget cuts, Julia Brodauf and Lennart Siebert, studio representatives for Berlin from the studio office of kulturwerk des bbk berlin, explained the dramatic situation facing studio funding.
The Berlin State Working Space Program (ARP), which provides affordable studios for visual artists, among other things, has been cut by more than half. This marks a reversal in the history of the program, which has been in existence for over 30 years. Rental amounts fell from €24.2 million to less than €20 million (–22 percent), investments in state-owned real estate from over €21 million to €3 million (2026) and zero euros from 2027 onwards. Co-studio representative Julia Brodauf emphasizes that the general tenant model—centralized leasing and subsidies from the state—secures basic infrastructure. But now, main rental agreements are in question and long-term commitments are being dropped. While the basic standards of the workspace program are being debated in the context of austerity measures, 10,000 artists registered with the studio office as looking for studios demonstrate the urgent need for affordable spaces. For every successful application for a studio, there were recently around 25 rejections. The fact that the state-owned studio buildings on Baruther Straße, Cuvrystraße, and Schönfließerstraße were converted to cost-based rent at the end of the year also poses an existential problem for the tenants there.
Art in urban spaces has also been severely affected by the cuts.
Art in urban spaces, explains Katinka Theis from the Office for Art in Public Spaces at kulturwerk des bbk berlin, is a key instrument of cultural participation in the city. It reaches people regardless of their origin, education, or social status, creates encounters in everyday life, and opens up spaces for social and political debate. Especially in times of growing polarization, art in urban spaces makes an important contribution to strengthening democratic values.
However, this great social significance stands in stark contrast to current cultural policy decisions. For example, budget item 81278 “Artistic Design in Urban Spaces” will be cut by 66 percent in the 2026/2027 budget and will only amount to 125,000 euros annually in the future. At the same time, the “Draussenstadt” program, which in 2025 still provided 500,000 euros for district cultural projects in urban spaces, will be completely eliminated. Overall, this means an annual loss of 750,000 euros for art and culture in public spaces.
The cuts come at a high price:
Berlin still has the highest density of visual artists after New York, but KSK figures show a 5 percent decline in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The reasons for this are declining incomes, a lack of affordable living and working space, and dwindling sources of income.
Frauke Boggasch: "The target group must not be shifted. A distinction must be made here: the creative industries are receiving more and more support, but visual artists are something else. Visual artists have different salaries, different working conditions, and need targeted support instead of being systematically excluded.
In order to highlight the living and working conditions of visual artists in Berlin even more clearly, bbk berlin is conducting a survey entitled “Living and Working as a Visual Artist in Berlin” until January 31.
Birgit Cauer: “For artists, public space is another field of work beyond the commercial art market. Here, socially relevant topics can be negotiated directly and with low thresholds. Visual art is not an accessory or a luxury. Visual art is a driver of social participation, a place for political debate, and an essential factor for lively and diverse urban development.”
Frauke Boggasch und Birgit Cauer,
Spokespersons bbk berlin