Under the Patronage of the Federal President
FREIRAUM KUNST
Akademie der Künste Goes Bellevue
13 – 28 Jun 2026

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: Rosa Barba, Carola Bauckholt, Ann Cotten, Alexandra Bircken, Monica Bonvicini, Jürgen Böttcher, Katja Erfurth, Ayşe Erkmen, Jochen Gerz, Katharina Grosse, Hanna Hartman, Bjørn Melhus, Boris Mikhailov, Karin Sander, Matthias Sauerbruch, Hanns Schimansky, Gregor Schneider, Chiyoko Szlavnics, and Wolfgang Tillmans.
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.

Additional information about the programme and the participating artists will be published at a later date.