FREIRAUM KUNST
Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue
Under the Patronage of the Federal President
13 – 28 Jun 2026
The highlight of this year’s programme is coming up in June: the Akademie der Künste will be hosting a pop-up gallery at Schloss Bellevue for two weeks. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is making his official residence – which has already been cleared out for renovation – available to the arts. Admission is free.
Tickets and Visitor Information
Location: Schloss Bellevue - Date:
13 – 28 Jun 2026 - Time:
10 am – 7 pm - Languages: German, English
- Save appointment
Schloss Bellevue, Spreeweg 1, 10557 Berlin-Tiergarten
Mon–Fri 11 am – 7 pm
Sat, Sun 10 am – 7 pmFree admission with a tim slot ticket
A free ticket is required to visit the exhibition “FREIRAUM KUNST. Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue”. Tickets can only be booked online at freiraum-kunst.eu (in German).
Due to high demand, you may experience delays on the registration page. We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Please try again later if necessary.
No tickets will be available at the venue. Tickets are personal and non-transferable. You may register up to three accompanying guests. Further information can be found at freiraum-kunst.eu (in German).
There are four ticket options:
Visit to the exhibition “FREIRAUM KUNST. Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue”
daily, 1-hour time slotVisit to the exhibition “FREIRAUM KUNST. Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue” and programme at the “Büro der öffentlichen Sache” (limited access to the programme section)
daily, 5–7 pmCafé Climate on the topic of “Rare Earth” (without a visit to the exhibition)
Fri 19 Jun, 5–7 pmArt and Solidarity – A matinee with Maria Kalesnikava
Sun 21 Jun, 11 am – 2 pm
FAQs on Admission
This ticket, when presented together with a valid form of photo ID, grants access to the exhibition and the events under the title “FREIRAUM KUNST. Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue” during the specified time slot. Admission is only permitted up to 30 minutes after the start of the time slot. No admission will be granted outside this time slot.
Entry checks will be carried out. This may result in waiting times. You must carry identification (from the age of 16: identity card or passport; from the age of 6: photo ID, e.g. school ID card).
The ticket is non-transferable.
Group bookings are not possible. You can register up to three accompanying persons.
Bags and rucksacks up to A4 size are permitted. Please do not bring any larger items of luggage.
It is not permitted to bring dangerous items, glass bottles, plastic bottles larger than 1 litre, drones, balloons, scooters, skateboards or similar items, flags and banners, or any pointed or sharp objects onto the premises.
Animals are not permitted on the premises. This does not apply to guide dogs and assistance dogs.
There are no parking spaces available on site. We recommend travelling by public transport to the “Großer Stern” bus stop (bus routes 100, 106, 187) or the “Bellevue” S-Bahn station (S-Bahn lines S3, S5, S7, S9).
As part of the exhibition and events entitled “FREIRAUM KUNST. Akademie der Künste goes Bellevue”, audio, photographic and video recordings will be made in which you or your minor children may appear. By visiting, you (or, where applicable, as the legal guardian of your minor child) consent to the use of audio, photographic and film recordings for the public relations work of the Akademie der Künste and the Federal President (including in brochures, on the website, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube). Information on data protection and your rights can be found in the privacy policies on the websites www.adk.de/en/privacy-policy and www.bundespraesident.de/datenschutz (in German).
Programme
From 13‒28 June 2026, the Akademie der Künste is realising a two-week pop-up gallery at Schloss Bellevue (Bellevue Palace) and is converting the official seat of the Federal President into a temporary venue for the arts.
As the seat of the head of state, Schloss Bellevue is a symbol of our liberal democracy – and consequently not a neutral exhibition space. The artworks are deliberately placed in a dynamic relationship with the location, which stands for liberal, democratic representation and political symbolism.
This unique exhibition has been made possible because Schloss Bellevue must be emptied before its renovation, and the Federal President is making the temporarily vacant rooms available for art. The building itself serves as an exhibit. In its vacant condition, it appears as a historical and political space. The artistic contributions respond to this context. They can take issue with it, shift its meaning and/or open up new interpretations.
The following Akademie der Künste members, among others, are participating in the exhibition:
Peter Badel, Rosa Barba, Carola Bauckholt, Alexandra Bircken, Jürgen Böttcher, Monica Bonvicini, Ann Cotten, Ayşe Erkmen, Jochen Gerz, Katharina Grosse, Hanna Hartman, Bjørn Melhus, Boris Mikhailov, Karin Sander, Matthias Sauerbruch, Hanns Schimansky, Gregor Schneider, Chiyoko Szlavnics, Wolfgang Tillmans and Manos Tsangaris. Moreover, the project’s initiators ‒ Christian Awe, El Bocho and Christopher Lehmpfuhl ‒ are also involved.
Anh-Linh Ngo, vice-president of the Akademie der Künste, and Cécile Wajsbrot, deputy director of the Literature Section, are the curators responsible for the entire presentation. The “Büro der öffentlichen Sache” (Public Affairs Office), curated by Akademie President Manos Tsangaris, is an artistic and discursive space that sees itself as an open forum where artistic perspectives can break down social polarisation.
Office of the Public Realm
13–28 Jun, 11 am – 7 pm (Mon–Fri) and 10 am – 7 pm (Sat, Sun)
To accompany the exhibition at Schloss Bellevue, Akademie President Manos Tsangaris has initiated the „Office of the Public Realm“, a discursive-performative format that not only addresses the concept of the public sphere but actively explores it. Through conversations, artistic contributions and collaborative situations, a space is created in which aesthetic and social perspectives converge.
Café Climate on the topic of “Rare Earth”
19 Jun 5–7 pm
The Climate Group of the European Alliance of Academies cordially invites you to Café Climate at Schloss Bellevue – an event that provides an opportunity to openly discuss the impact of the climate crisis on our daily lives, democracy, art and culture. Featuring experts Benjamin Beuerle, Nina Fischer and Maria Gimenez, and artists Leon Erhorn, Petja Ivanova, Iris ter Schiphorst and Cécile Wajsbrot.
Art and Solidarity – A Matinee with Maria Kalesnikava
21 Jun 11 am – 2 pm
Together with her long-standing supporters Christine Fischer, Tatsiana Khomich and Kai Ohrem, Maria Kalesnikava will speak at a matinee event about the role of art and culture in democratic societies, her commitment to a free Belarus and the power of solidarity – even across national borders.
About Schloss Bellevue
Schloss Bellevue has been the official principal residence of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany since 1994. The structure, built in the neoclassical style in 1786 in Berlin-Tiergarten, is one of the city’s oldest surviving palaces. The building will remain closed in its entirety for extensive refurbishment, which begins in summer 2026.
About the Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste was founded in 1696 and is celebrating its 330th anniversary in 2026. As an international community of some 400 artists from the fields of the visual arts, architecture, music, literature, performing arts and film and media arts, it envisions itself as a place where artistic freedom and social debate can thrive.
