berufsverband bildender künstler*innen berlin - the professional association of visual artists berlin

Representing the interests of visual artists in Berlin

At present, more than 3,000 visual artists of all disciplines and art forms are organised in the association. The bbk berlin is independent and funded only by its membership fees.

The association and its board

One focus of the association is supporting all visual artists by providing infrastructure and means of production for artistic work. The bbk berlin enables this through its non-profit subsidiaries, the kulturwerk and bildungswerk, which provide studios, workshops and educational opportunities for artists.

The association is also active in cultural policy, taking a position on issues concerning the working conditions and position of artists in society. It advises policymakers in the interest of artists. The bbk berlin is committed to open and transparent structures in the art world and advocates on behalf of the cultural, economic, legal and social interests of artists vis-à-vis the public and politics.

The board of the bbk berlin consists currently of two spokespersons and four other members.

History of the bbk berlin

In 1950 Renée Sintenis, Richard Scheibe, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Hannah Höch, among others, called for the foundation of a professional association for artists in Berlin. In the same year, the memorandum "Kunst in Not" (Art in Need) was written, taking drastic and competent stock of visual artists' social situation in Berlin. This formed the basis for the association's work.

First and foremost, the professional association views itself as an association for the protection and enforcement of visual artists' economic as well as social interests in a democratic social order. From the very beginning, it has successfully advocated for improved social security for artists and the simultaneous expansion of their opportunities to exhibit their works.

One decisive event in the association's history was the Frankfurt Artists' Congress in 1971, which led to the introduction of social insurance for artists.

The association responded to demands for better production conditions for Berlin artists in 1973 by expanding the printing workshop, which had existed since 1955, and in 1985 by establishing a sculpture workshop. In cooperation with the state of Berlin, the media workshop was established in 2008. Together with the Office for Art in Public Space and the Studio Office, as institutions that are part of to the kulturwerk of the bbk berlin, they form an infrastructure for professional artists that is unique in Europe.

In 1973, the association responded to demands for better production conditions for Berlin artists by expanding the printing workshop, which had existed since 1955, and founding its Kulturwerk GmbH. At the end of the 1970s, the pilot project "Further Training for Artists" in cooperation with the HdK (today University of the Arts) took place at Köthener Str. 44, Berlin-Kreuzberg. In 1980, the Bildungswerk GmbH emerges from this for professionalization with a sector-specific program for artists. In 1985, the Kulturwerk is expanded by establishing a sculpture workshop and a media workshop in 2008 in cooperation with the Berlin Senat. With the Büro für Kunst im öffentlichen Raum (Office for Art in Public Space), founded in 1977, and the Atelierbüro (Studio Office) with its Studio Funding Program, established in 1991, all facilities of the kulturwerk and the bildungswerk of the bbk berlin form an infrastructure for professional artists that is unique in Europe.

In 2016/17, the association revised its bylaws and has since been known as the berufsverband bildender künstler*innen berlin. In addition, the model of two spokespersons was introduced for the Board.

Board Members since 2000

Since October 2025:
Current board members: Frauke Boggasch (spokesperson), Birgit Cauer (spokesperson), Alex Lebus, Julie Legouez, Justina Los, Benjamin Zuber

2024-2025:
Frauke Boggasch (spokesperson), Birgit Cauer (spokesperson), Johannes Büttner (until December 2024), Lieselotte Illig (until December 2024), Julie Legouez, Justina Los, Dejan Marković (until October 2025)

2022-2024:
Frauke Boggasch (spokesperson), Zoë Claire Miller (spokesperson), Johannes Büttner, Birgit Cauer, Sybell Kim, Markues (until August 2023), Raul Walch (until June 2024), Rüzgâr Buşki (as of Nov 2023 - until April 2024)

2020-2022:
Zoë Miller (spokesperson), Heidi Sill (spokesperson), Frauke Boggasch, Patrick Huber, Susanne Kutter (until March 2022), Sabine Reinfeld, Raul Walch

2018-2020:
Zoë Miller (spokesperson), Heidi Sill (spokesperson), Frauke Boggasch, Patrick Huber, Sabine Reinfeld, Sophie-Therese Trenka-Dalton, Raul Walch

2016-2018:
Heidi Sill (1st chair until Nov 2016, spokesperson), Cornelia Renz (2nd chair until Nov 2016, spokesperson), Herbert Mondry, Patrick Huber, Thomas Schliesser, Zoë Miller, Sophie-Therese Trenka-Dalton

2014-2016
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Pia Lanziger (2nd chair), Konrad Zander, Lou Favorite, Marìa Linares, Cornelia Renz, Diego Castro (until 2015), Heidi Sill (as of 2015)

2012-2014
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Karina Pospiech (2nd chair), Roland Fuhrmann (until 2013), Pia Lanziger (as of 2013), Keike Twisselmann, Konrad Zander, Lou Favorite, Diego Castro

2010-2012
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Signe Theill (2nd chair until 2011), Karina Pospiech (2nd chair as of 2011), Heidi Sill (until 2011), Lou Favorite (as of 2011), Keike Twisselmann, Konrad Zander

2008-2010
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Signe Theill, Heidi Sill (2nd chair), Heiner Büld, Keike Twisselmann, Konrad Zander, Martin Pfahler, Dr. Frieder Schnock (2010)

2006-2008
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Ute Weiss Leder (2nd chair as of Sept 2007), Signe Theill (2nd chair as of 2007), Heidi Sill, Patrick Huber, Zariamma Harat (until 2007), Helga Franz (as of 2007), Keike Twisselman, Martin Pfahler

2004-2006
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Ute Weiss Leder (2nd chair), Ricarda Pohl (until 2005), Heidi Sill (as 2005), Jo Achermann, Keike Twisselmann, Zariamma Harat, Martin Pfahler

2002-2004
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Natascha Kaßner (2nd chair until 2003), Stella Vlachopoulos (until 2003), Sven Jakubith (until 2003), Markus Bartschat (until 2003), Alke Brinkmann (until 2003), Ute Weiss Leder (2nd chair as of 2003), Jo Achermann (as of 2003), Ricarda Pohl (as of 2003), Jörg Bürkle (as of 2003), Zariamma Harat (as of 2003), Oliver Belling (as of 2003)

2000-2002
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Sven Jakubith (2nd chair until 2001), Andreas Sunder-Plassmann (2nd chair as of 2001), Manfred Miersch (2nd chair as of 2001), Roman Banerjee, Barbara Schulze, Markus Bartschat, Volker Rehm, Markku Peltonen

Board Members 1950-2000

1998-2000
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Wolfgang Matzat (2nd chair until 1999), Sven Jakubith (2nd chair as of 1999), Alke Brinkmann, Roman Banerjee, Hilla Stute, Hermann Spörel, Markus Bartschat

1996-1998
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Ulrich Grüter (2nd chair until Nov.1998), Wolfgang Matzat (2nd chair as of Nov.1998), Alke Brinkmann, Hermann Spörel, Roman Banerjee, Markus Bartschat, Sirius Krenzien (until June1997), Sandra Becker (as of June 1997)

1993-1996
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Karla Gänßler (2nd chair), Rainer Bonar (resigned in 1995), Alke Brinkmann, Roman Banerjee, Astrid Mosch, Jürgen Hoffmann (until 1993), Detlef Ziep (until 1995), Sirius Krenzien (as of 1995), Hermann Spörel

1989-1993
Herbert Mondry (1st chair), Susanne Husemann (2. Vorsitzende, bis 1992), Oda Schöller (2nd chair until1993), Rainer Bonar, Karl Wesker, Jürgen Hoffmann, Rainer Fest, Stefanie Näpel, Robert Rehfeldt (as of 1992),

1988-1989
Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig (1st chair), Dieter Ruckhaberle (2nd chair), Susanne Husemann (interm 2nd chair), Markus Müller, Brigitte Heimann-Paquet, Hans Joachim Schreiber, Inge Husemann

1986-1988
Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig (1st chair), Gisela Burkhart (2nd chair until 1988), Inge Husemann (interim 2nd chair), Stefanie Vogel, Dieter Ruckhaberle, Carlos José Martins, Klaus Hartmann, Brigitte Heimann-Paquet

1984-1986
Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig (1st chair), Katja Jedermann (2nd chair), Gisela Burkhart, Evelyn Kuwertz (1984), Hartmut Krüger (1985), Klaus Schröter, Birgit von Toerne (until 1985), Rüdiger Preisler (as of 1985), Yeter Hanefi (1984), Ernst-Gottfried Hopffgarten, Stefanie Vogel

1980-1984
Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig (1st chair), Katja Jedermann (2nd chair), Bernhard Mensch, Gerd Wulff, Klaus Büscher, lngolf Kirsch, Stephan Preuschoff

1978-1980
Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig (1st chair), Dieter Ruckhaberle (2nd chair), Bernhard Mensch, Katja Jedermann, Klaus Büscher, Dieter Masuhr, Vera Krickhahn (2nd chair), Tom Fecht

1974-1978
Hans Metz (1st chair), Klaus Buschenhagen, Klaus Büscher, Arwed Gorella, Prof. Wolfgang Ludwig, Bernhard Mensch

1971-1974
Reent Schwarz (1st chair), Hans Metz, Klaus Büscher, Gernot Bubenik, Arwed Gorella, Herbert Mondry (resigned in 1973), Dieter Ruckhaberle, Jürgen Zeidler

1970-1971
Paul Corazolla (1st chair, resigned in 1971), Gernot Bubenik, Eugen Clermont (resigned in 1971), Arwed Gorella, Herbert Mondry, Dieter Ruckhaberle, Jürgen Zeidler

1968-1970
Karl Oppermann (1st chair), Gernot Bubenik, Franz R. Knubel, Sigmund Lympasik, Herbert Mondry, Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp, Gory von Stryk

1964-1968
Ludwig Peter Kowalski (1st chair, died in 1967), Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp (2nd chair, interim chair 1967/1968), Alexander Kampmann, Kat Kampmann, lmmanuel Meyer-Pyritz, Erich F. Reuter, Gory von Stryk

1958-1964
Ludwig Peter Kowalski (1st chair), Alexander Kampmann, lmmanuel Meyer-Pyritz, Heinrich Richter, Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp, Gory von Stryk, Hans Szym (until 1960)

1950 - 1958
Wolf Hoffmann (1.Vorsitzender), Ludwig Peter Kowalski, lmmanuel Meyer-Pyfltz, Heinrich Richter, Loulse Stomps (resigned in 1952) successor Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp, Gory von Stryk, Hans Szym

Frauke Boggasch und Birgit Cauer, Sprecherinnen des bbk berlin, schneiden auf der 75. Jubiläumsfeier des bbk berlin die Torte an.

How do I become a member?

All professional visual artists can become members of the bbk berlin. Conditions and application forms can be found here.

Supporting Artistic Work

From exhibition fees and scholarships to infrastructure for artistic work—you can find everything here at a glance.

berufsverband bildender künstler*innen berlin - the professional association of visual artists berlin

Representing the interests of visual artists in Berlin

History of the bbk berlin

Join us

How do I become a member?

What we have achieved

Supporting Artistic Work