Berlin Art Guide 2025: World Ranking of World Rank in the Berlin Museums

Berlin, a city in which history and modernity merge, is again the Mecca for art lovers from all over the world in 2025. From groundbreaking contemporary art to classic masterpieces - the art scene of the German capital sprays with diversity.

You can find out which highlights you should definitely miss here. The following exhibitions are among the most exciting Berlin Art events of this season.

01 New National Gallery: On new horizons

The newly renovated new National Gallery invites you to a spectacular exhibition entitled Horizonte of Modernity . The focus is on installations and digital works of art that research the interface between technology and art. Sounding names like Nan Goldin , Gerhard Richter , Olafur Eliasson , Yayoi Kusama and Cao Fei are represented.

A visit is not only worthwhile for art connoisseurs - according to a study by the Berlin tourist office, the exhibitions of the 2024 gallery count over 400,000 visitors. The clear architecture of the building, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, offers an impressive backdrop for contemporary art.

Where: Potsdamer Straße 50, 10785 Berlin

Here are our exhibition highlights for the current season:

1.1 Nan Goldin - This will not end well

The retrospective in the new National Gallery for the first time gives a multifaceted and deep insight into the artistic work of Nan Goldin , which extends over four decades, from 1980 to the present. Her diverse working groups are impressively presented in the form of slide shows and films, which are housed in pavilions designed Hala Wardé

Each of these impressive "structures" is harmoniously matched to the respective series of work and contributes to a feeling of community that captivates the visitors. After successful openings in Stockholm and Amsterdam, this remarkable exhibition takes place in Berlin before continuing your trip to Milan and Paris.

When : until 06.04.2025

1.2 Troch. Art between politics and society

The exhibition examines the tensions and realignment in the visual art of the 20th century, triggered by drastic social events such as the Holocaust, the Cold War and Emancipation. The focus is on the radical performance of Günter Brus from 1970, in which he faced extreme physical challenges.

Central topics are dealt with in 14 chapters, including realism versus abstraction , politics and identity as well as feminism and ecology. The presentation includes a diverse collection of paintings, objects, photographs and videos from the Federal Republic, the GDR, Western Europe and the USA as well as works by former socialist states.

Artists such as Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol are shown to be less well -known artists such as Kiki Kogelnik and Ewa Partum , whose work has not yet been represented in the National Gallery.

When : until 28.09.2025

1.3 Gerhard Richter. 100 works for Berlin

The exhibition in the new National Gallery is presenting the long -term loan from the Gerhard Richter Kunststiftung . The focus is on the impressive "Birkenau" (2014), consisting of four large -format abstract pictures that reflect Richter's intensive examination of the Holocaust. Based on photographs from Auschwitz-Birkenau, the artist broadcast them with coal and oil paint and then increasingly abstracted them. The work is complemented by a four -part Mirrors who stimulates the viewer for reflection.

In addition, almost 90 other works by Richter from various creative phases have been seen 1980s "occupied house" (1989) and "4900 colors" (2007). This presentation was developed in close cooperation with the artist, whereby future exhibitions are planned in new contexts through interventions by artists.

When : until September 2026

Tip for online visits: Even if the personal visit of exhibitions is a very special experience, you simply cannot be physically involved in every important event in the world. But you can visit exhibitions online and, if partly, gain significant new experiences and emotions.

But don't forget to preserve your privacy to prevent hacking attacks or surveillance. In addition, a good VPN can protect against the disclosure of identity and handle regional restrictions without any problems.

02 Gropius Bau: Significant exhibition house in Kreuzberg

In the middle of the pulsating heart of Berlin, Gropius Bau , an architectural masterpiece and a lively place that attracts art lovers and culturally interested people alike. This internationally important exhibition house has established itself as a central meeting point, where art is not only shown, but also experienced and discussed.

Here there is a variety of exhibitions that include large individual presentations and impressive performances of contemporary artists.

The Gropius Bau not only offers space for visual works of art, but also promotes a lively exchange and dialogue between the visitors. Carefully curated events create a place where local voices with global perspectives can step into a fertile exchange. 

Each event in Gropius Bau is an invitation to discover the variety of artistic forms of expression.

Particularly exciting: interactive workshops enable visitors to become creative themselves. In 2024, Gropius Bau attracted around 350,000 guests - a number that will probably be exceeded next year.

Where: Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin

2.1 Baubau - a venue for children

Playing, laughing and being exuberant - all of this is possible in the Gropius Bau exhibition house. With Baubau, the artist Kerstin Brätsch has created a free venue for children, in which the focus is on creativity and exploration. Colorful wall wallpapers and diverse “loose parts” offer the children the opportunity to design their own rooms without fixed guidelines.

This pilot project started at the beginning of September 2024 and is continuously developed to offer the children a space that is shaped by their ideas.

Following the model of Palle Nielsen and Gunilla Lundahl's "The Model", Baubau has the rules of traditional art institutions behind. Children are invited to explore a room that stimulates playing and discovering. The environment designed by Kerstin Brätsch combines elements of earlier works in new forms and materials. Wallpaper, fabrics and furniture are populated with dinosaurs, fantastic beings and abstract motifs , creating a creative space for free play.

When : by the end of January 2025. Then reopened in March 2025

2.2 Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind

From the spring of 2025, the comprehensive solo exhibition "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind" focus on the artist and activist Yoko Ono. This extraordinary exhibition presents over 200 exhibits that draw from seven decades and impressively illustrate the development of Ono's innovative, interdisciplinary work.

From instructions and notations to installations, films and music to photographs - every work illuminates onoS radical approach to language, art and participation, the influence of which is noticeable to the present day.

In cooperation with Tate Modern in London as well as the Gropius Bau in Berlin and the North Rhine-Westphalia art collection in Düsseldorf, this exhibition will not only make the diversity of ONOs tangible, but will also stimulate a deep examination of its vision. 

When : from 11.4. until 31.8.2025

03 Berlinische Galerie: rediscover modern art

The Berlinische Galerie presents a fascinating interdisciplinary collection that combines visual arts, architecture, photography and drawing. It masters the demanding balancing act between a clear local focus - with works of art that were created directly in Berlin - and an international relevance that radiates far beyond the city limits. The artistic priorities include significant currents such as Dada Berlin, the new objectivity, the Eastern European avant -garde as well as the art of divided Berlin and the reunited metropolis.

In addition to the impressive permanent position "Art in Berlin 1880-1980", the museum regularly invites you to dive deeper into the variety of artistic forms of expression with varied special exhibitions. Historical contexts and contemporary perspectives meet here, which makes a visit to the exciting journey of discovery.

With the introduction of digital audio guides last year, visitor satisfaction increased by 30 %.

Tip: Combine the visit with a walk through the adjacent neighborhood Kreuzberg to round off the day perfectly.

Where: Alte Jakobstraße 124-128, 10969 Berlin

3.1 Retrospective: Departure into modernity

From October 2022, the Berlin City Museum will present twelve important works of classical modernism, including paintings by artists such as Lovis Corinth, Edvard Munch and Max Beckmann , in the Berlinische Galerie.

This exhibition is created in the context of extensive renovation work in the Märkische Museum, which will be closed for four years from 2023. The aim is to promote the accessibility and exchange of collections. The selected exhibits are part of the permanent exhibition "Art in Berlin 1880-1980" and reflect the art scene in Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century, which was decisively shaped by these outstanding artists.

When: by autumn 2026

3.2 Raoul Hausmann. 1886 - 1971

Raoul Hausmann is one of the most formative avant -gardists in classical modernism, whose art was inseparable with his life. He sought to overcome the known and always make the "tomorrow", which made him a pioneering multidisciplinary artist. As a Dadaist, he is considered a co -founder of the collage, developed synesthetic apparatus and researched the relationships between body, sound and space in performative work. In addition, he connected to see and feel in his photography and questioned conventional life models.

The comprehensive retrospective in the Berlinische Galerie presents around 200 works from national and international collections and illuminates Hausmann's influence on subsequent generations in the context of current discourses. His late work from his time in France after the emigration from Nazi Germany is also recognized by the support of the Musée d'Art Contemporain de la Haute-Vienne Château de Rochechouart and is part of this important exhibition.

When: from November 8, 200 to 16.3.26

04 KW Institute for Contemporary Art: Berlin in Change

The KW Institute for Contemporary Art is an important Berlin institution and contact point for those interested in art as well as tourists in Mitte. Founded by Klaus Biesenbach with the exhibition "37 Rooms" in 1992, the institute has developed into an important player in the international art scene. Since the restoration in 1999 it has been presenting outstanding artists such as Jake and Dinos Chapman and Matthew Barney, with politically explosive topics being treated, as at the Berlin Biennale 2012 under Artur Zmijewski.

In addition to generous exhibition rooms, the listed building offers artists living and working opportunities as well as regular lectures and discussion events that round off the cultural offer.

Where: Auguststraße 69, 10117  Berlin

BPA // Exhibition 2024: Half-Light

Young, aspiring artists show their perspectives on the constant change in the metropolis. Sculptures, photographs and immersive installations invite you to think. With more than 400 galleries in Berlin, the KW offers an important space for experimental contemporary art. Plan enough time to let the often provocative works work.

The exhibition is supplemented by a variety of essays: every artist asked a writer of his choice to think about his work. The texts collected are available in the KW bookstore. In addition, a public program with tours and performances enables a more intensive examination of the way the artists work.

Tip: If you are abroad or are absent during a trade fair, you usually have the option of participating online. With Veepn you do not have to worry about regional restrictions or possible security risks by public WLAN networks. So you do not miss the event and can still actively participate and gain valuable impressions.

When: until 05.01.25

05 Boros collection: Minimalism meets history

Hidden in a former bunker, the Boros collection a unique atmosphere for modern art.

The Boro's collection is an outstanding private collection of contemporary art, which includes works from the time of the time from 1990 to the present. In an artistically redesigned bunker, parts of this impressive collection of Karen and Christian Boros are made accessible to the public on a spacious area of ​​3000 square meters.

Each presentation not only offers visual experiences, but also thematic explanations that enable visitors to gain deeper insights into the world of contemporary art. 

Note: Admission is only possible after prior registration. A study of 2024 showed that 92 % of visitors mentioned the extraordinary ambience as the main reason for their visit.

06 Hamburger Bahnhof - Mark Bradford: Keep Walking

This exhibition offers a profound examination of the topics of breed, gender and economic injustice as well as the resistance that people develop towards these challenges. With a total of 20 impressive installations, she addresses both the spirit and the senses of the visitors.

The abstract compositions of Bradford impressively reveal the lived reality of black in America. They consist of carefully selected objects based on his personal experiences from childhood in Los Angeles and thus offer an authentic and touching insight into his perspective.

Where: Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstr. 50, middle

When: until 18.05.25

07 The Wall: Before, After, East and West (Berliner Volksbank)

The exhibition illuminates the multi -layered influences of the Berlin Wall on art and society and presents remarkable works from the art collection of Berliner Volksbank. By clearly comparing the perspectives of both sides of the dividing line, the exhibition offers a deep and moving examination of this decisive section of our history.

The Max-Liebermann-Haus, which once acted as a border area, creates the ideal framework for this important reflection on division and reunification. This event invites you to discover the complex stories behind the works of art and to deal with the formative past of Berlin.

Where: Foundation Brandenburg Gate, Max Liebermann Haus, Pariser Platz, center

When: until 02.03.25

08 Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic (Humboldt Forum)

At the point where the Humboldt Forum is enthroned today, the “People's Palace” of the GDR - an important place of political events and the representative public, was once a pulsating center for entertainment.

On an area of ​​1,400 square meters, the multifaceted impact and the profound importance of this urban development can be experienced at this historic location. Here the versatile tasks, functions and influences come alive - combined with the memories that were formative for generations.

Where: Humboldt Forum, Schloßplatz, 10178 Berlin

When: until 16.02.25

09 Dream on - Berlin, The 90s (C/O Berlin)

The Berlin Wall, a crucial symbol of the division, existed 28 years. It was not only a physical barrier, but also a steel curtain that shaped the life and identity of the people on both sides. With the fall of the wall in 1989, Berlin faced sudden challenges: While on the one hand there was a feeling of political departure and euphoria, on the other hand, fears of social injustice and questions about their own identity were omnipresent.

In this tense context, seven photographers from East Germany founded the renowned photo agency Ostkreuz. They created a remarkable documentary work that the complex realities of this era against mirrors t.

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this impressive collection is presented and invites you to deal with the eventful history of Berlin and its cultural aftermath.

Where: C/O Berlin, America House, Hardenbergstrasse 22-24, 10623 Berlin

When: until 23.01.25

10 Old National Gallery: Monet and the Impressionist CityScape

It is an extraordinarily compact, but at the same time fascinating exhibition, which is an important turning point in impressionism history: In 1867 Claude Monet the pulsating city of Paris as an inspiring motif and created his first three impressive representations of this metropolis.

"city" developed into a central element in impressionist art, which culminated in the groundbreaking works of Henri Matisse. The old National Gallery now has the unique opportunity to unite not only the three masterpieces of Claude Monet, but also 17 additional remarkable impressionist city views in an outstanding presentation.

Where: Alte Nationalgalerie, Bodestrasse, 10178 Berlin

When: until 26.01.25

11 Berlin, Berlin. 20 Years of the Helmut Newton Foundation (Museum of Photography)

The Helmut Newton Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary! The title of the exhibition already reveals a lot about the outstanding photo art, which is presented by numerous renowned photographers such as Helmut Newton and Barbara Klemm in the Museum of Photography. These impressive works provide fascinating insights into the unique perspectives of the artists in Berlin.

In this special year, in which we commemorate the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Berlin Wall is of central and recurring importance, which stimulates thinking and gives up the history of the city.

Where: Museum of Photography, Jebensstraße 2, 10623 Berlin

When: up to 1 6.02.25

12  Emop Berlin - European Month of Photography

March 2025 will take an outstanding highlight in the field of photography in Germany when the Biennale Festival is opened. In museums, exhibition rooms, memorial sites, cultural institutions and art universities , the impressive work is presented by both aspiring talents and established photographers.

This multifaceted festival not only offers a variety of exhibitions, but also a varied supporting program that allows visitors to dive into the world of photography. In view of the alarming and challenging political situation worldwide, the central topic for 2025 is "what is between us" .

This topic stimulates reflection on interpersonal relationships and social barriers and creates space for meaningful discussions.

Where: Various art and cultural sites in Berlin

When: from 01.03. until 31 .03.25

Why Berlin remains an art hotspot

Berlin is not only the capital of Germany, but also a global hub for art and culture. With over 500 exhibitions and more than three million art tourists per year, the city proves its magnetic attraction.

From renowned institutions to small, independent galleries - the variety is unprecedented. According to a report by the Berlin Senate, around 22 % more funding was provided for the art scene in 2024. A proof that the city continues to invest in its creative future.

Practical tips for your visit

So that you can enjoy your Berlin Art Season Highlights without stress, here are some quick recommendations:

• Plan early: in particular at the Boros collection, a timely reservation is essential.
• Use the Berlin WelcomeCard: With this pass you get discounts on admission prices of many museums.
• Public transport: The BVG offers an excellent connection to all important art locations.

Final words

The art exhibitions in Berlin 2025 offer much more than just visual impressions - they tell stories, invite you to reflect and inspire sustainably. Whether in the new National Gallery or the Boros collection: Each exhibition is a window in another world.