Berliner Realistinnen: 65 Jahre Haus am Lützowplatz (HaL)

On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Fördererkreis Kulturzentrum Berlin e.V., the Haus am Lützowplatz (HaL) is hosting a large-scale exhibition featuring 28 Berlin-based female artists and commemorating its eventful history in an extensive publication.

With works by:
Aline Alagem, Sonja Alhäuser, Marie Aly, Stefanie Bühler, Zuzanna Czebatul, Birgit Dieker, Johanna Dumet, Hannah Sophie Dunkelberg, Kerstin Dzewior, Marion Eichmann, Simone Haack, Victoria Heifetz, Stefanie Hillich, Cathrin Hoffmann, Hortensia Mi Kafchin, Barbara Keidel, Fee Kleiß, Franziska Klotz, Kathrin Landa, Florence Obrecht, Maria and Natalia Petschatnikov, Antonia Rodrian, Shanee Roe, Tanja Selzer, Kerstin Serz, Charlie Stein, Alex Tennigkeit, and Ivana de Vivanco.

Curators of the exhibition:
Sarah Letzel, Marc Wellmann, and Asja Wolf

The exhibition „Berliner Realistinnen. 65 Years of Haus am Lützowplatz (HaL)“ will reconstruct the urban development situation of Lützowplatz in 1960 in its historical section. Large-scale wallpapers will depict the vast, undeveloped wastelands of the area, serving as a visual backdrop for photographs from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Documents about the building’s history and its early exhibition program will be displayed in vitrines.

The contemporary part of the project takes its starting point from the 1971 exhibition „1. Mai-Salon. Berliner Realisten 71“, which initiated a series of significant thematic group exhibitions. The first „1. Mai-Salon“ featured 28 works, 27 of which were by male artists such as Hans Jürgen Diehl, Johannes Grützke, Matthias Koeppel, Marwan, Wolfgang Petrick, and others. Many of these artists were also represented in subsequent years with solo exhibitions or other projects at the venue.

The section *“Berliner Realistinnen“ is conceived as a gender-political reenactment of the first „1. Mai-Salon“. In 2025, 28 works will also be shown. As a deliberate gesture for equality—in connection with International Women’s Day on March 8th and in cooperation with the initiative „fair share! Visibility for Female Artists“—all participants are female or identify as female.

At the center of the exhibition is a work by Barbara Keidel-Schoenholtz (1939–2021), the only female artist involved in 1971. This is complemented by works from 27 contemporary Berlin-based female artists, invited in line with the age structure of the original exhibition. Drawing on the concept of reality articulated in 1971, the selection of artists is based on an expanded understanding of figurative art, as expressed in the classical genres of painting, drawing, and sculpture. The exhibition reflects the diversity of Berlin’s art scene and addresses a broad spectrum of themes with varied artistic approaches.

A bilingual booklet (German/English), 58 pages, 20 x 20 cm, will be published, featuring texts on the works and an introduction by the curators.

The exhibition is under the patronage of Joe Chialo, Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion.

Cooperation Partner:
fair share! Sichtbarkeit für Künstlerinnen e.V.