BERLIN.- The 11th edition of the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair successfully closed yesterday! The whole fair team looks back on four intensive days filled with stimulating conversations, exciting new contacts, and bustling aisles! We are delighted by the overwhelming response, reflected in the increased number of visitors, which reached 30,000 this year.

There was a palpable interest in the artistic works presented by the 111 galleries from 24 countries. The wide-ranging spectrum of art brought by international galleries to the hangars of Tempelhof Airport this year provided a wonderful opportunity for rediscoveries and new discoveries alike.

The fair's directors, Kristian Jarmuschek and Heinrich Carstens, are extremely pleased with the past few days: "Despite the well-known economic challenges facing galleries, the fair was a great success. We hosted some very prominent European collectors, who toured the fair with us, and nearly all made significant purchases. Berlin continues to be a magnet, and Tempelhof Airport is increasingly becoming a hotspot for networking. The participation of galleries from 24 countries reflects this international perspective. A walk through the fair offered the chance to discover many exciting artistic positions of very high quality, where a second or even third look was truly rewarding. Many collectors greatly appreciated this. And the galleries that deliberately played with this idea were rewarded with strong interest—and even financial success."

With 111 galleries from 24 countries, this year’s POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair established itself as a prominent meeting point for both the international art market and locally based galleries. In addition to established participants such as Galerie Benden & Ackermann, FeldbuschWiesnerRudolph, Idolon Gallery, Galerie Mathias Güntner, Thole Rotermund Kunsthandel, Art Mûr, Galerie Judith Andreae, and Galerie Brockstedt, young galleries and dealers like HOTO and Weserhalle returned to the fair, and new participants such as Galerie Met joined for the first time. Both emerging and established galleries expressed satisfaction with their sales and new connections made.

This year’s artistic positions reflected a strong interest in the relationship between humanity and nature, the individual and the world. Many artists at the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair 2024 explored the question of how they situate themselves in today’s world, with its current climatic, patriarchal, and capitalist conditions. Their responses were marked by humor, reflection, and literal artistic processing. For example, Judith Miriam Escherlor (galerie intershop) addresses gender visibility, creating textile objects in vulva-like and phallic shapes that blur all gender boundaries. Ivy Lee (Gudmundsdottir) and Carolina Bazo (O Art Project) perform against the backdrop of what appears to be desolation—vast steppes or lush jungles—making their human bodies seem small and almost lost in these environments. Franziska Reinbothe (Galerie Mathias Güntner), meanwhile, seeks and finds potential in destruction. In her deconstruction and reconstruction of canvases, she literally rethinks their form, offering an optimistic view in light of increasingly fragile structures.

Optimism is indeed the key word! The joy that permeated this year’s POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair was significantly enhanced by the focus on South Korea. The six galleries—ERD, CHOI&CHOI, ThisWeekendRoom, Seojung Art, Aria Gallery, and N Gallery—along with the special presentation "Spotlight on South Korea," built an artistic bridge between Berlin and South Korea, creating an exciting intercontinental art exchange. The reception of this focus was overwhelmingly positive!

“We are already thinking about returning to Berlin, as our artists received so much attention. We are deeply grateful for all the warm words we received throughout the week in Berlin.”- Sunyoon Park of Galerie ERD

In a stimulating conversation with fair director Heinrich Carstens, Jinhee Choi from CHOI&CHOI Gallery (Seoul/Cologne) shared her insights into the art markets of South Korea and Germany. She observed that while collectors in South Korea are very enthusiastic about European artists, the reverse is not yet as common. Therefore, she expressed her gratitude and happiness that the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair provided a valuable opportunity to drive change and increase visibility for South Korean artists in the European market.

The growing influence of this capital city art fair is evident not only from the positive reactions of the public but also from the feedback of participating gallery owners.

“I am absolutely thrilled with this year’s POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair and the work of the team. I’m very pleased with the sales. The positive reactions to Sadie Laska’s flags were evident not only in the press but also here in the hangar. Thank you so much!” – Roozbeh Golestani

For the third time, the exclusive BERLIN ART WEEK COLLECTORS DINNER took place on Saturday evening as part of the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair—a truly special event. Collectors, gallery owners, and prominent figures from business, culture, and politics gathered in the historic main hall of Tempelhof Airport. In line with our focus on South Korea, they enjoyed South Korean cuisine catered by Kimchi Princess. The evening stretched into the late hours, with lively discussions about art and a perfect opportunity to network.

2024 Award Winners

For the third time, in cooperation with Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker Switzerland, we presented the Zilkens Best Booth Award, and this year, two galleries were honored: Galleri Weinberger Schandorff from Copenhagen, Denmark, and KodlContemporary from Prague, Czech Republic. This award is given annually to recognize the best gallery presentation at the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair. It celebrates galleries that curate their artistic content in a particularly exceptional way. Following their award, KodlContemporary also celebrated a complete sell-out of their booth.

The Berlin Hyp Award went to artist Laura Mercedes Arndt from Kunsthochschule Weißensee, who impressed with her large-scale figurative paintings. Her works evoke strong emotions through the physical closeness of the figures, their barely clothed bodies supporting and holding one another, from which a sense of strength emerges. The power of community, friendship, and the courage to be vulnerable seem to be central themes in her work. Additionally, Florian Hiller from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf captivated the jury with his imaginative, geometric paintings. Boxes, tubes, and faces twist through dark, undefined spaces—yet without feeling dystopian! A sense of humor always lurks nearby. With this award, these two emerging artists will have the opportunity to present solo exhibitions at next year's POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair.

The HEUSSEN Perspectives Award, presented for the second time, was awarded to emerging artists Yena Kim, Gemma Sola Sotos, and Fynn Bornemeier. Their works will be celebrated with an exhibition and honored by the law firm.

Additionally, gallery owner Anton Janizewski was delighted to receive the VBKI Award, which was presented this year at the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair.