Berlin Takes a Look: The Most Exciting Art Exhibitions in 2026
From the Berlinische Galerie to the Neue Nationalgalerie, 2026 promises to be an exciting year for art in Germany’s vibrant capital. In the Berlinische Galerie, three major highlights are on display: Marc Brandenburg presents his comprehensive survey 20th Century Debris, Jeewi Lee showcases new site-specific installations as the winner of the GASAG Art Prize, and Lovis Corinth is celebrated with a large monographic exhibition on Berlin Modernism. At the Gropius Bau, performances and installations by Marina Abramović and Christoph Schlingensief take center stage, while the Neue Nationalgalerie hosts the first extensive survey of Constantin Brancusi’s work in Germany in over 50 years. Here’s a detailed overview:
Berlinische Galerie, Berlin – Marc Brandenburg: 20th Century Debris (April 17 – September 14, 2026, Berlin)
Berlin-based multimedia artist Marc Brandenburg (1965) is one of the most important contemporary draftsmen. His work spans drawing, collage, installation, video, and performance. At the heart of his practice are highly detailed pencil drawings depicting urban life in all its facets: protests, overconsumption, subcultural scenes, and celebrities as pop culture symbols. Brandenburg does not necessarily tell a story but conveys a dense, melancholic atmosphere that subtly reflects societal crises. The comprehensive survey presents around 150 artworks, including early drawings from the 1990s, videos, tattoo sheets, and photographs.
Berlinische Galerie, Berlin – Jeewi Lee: GASAG Art Prize 2026 (September 11, 2026 – April 5, 2027, Berlin)
Korean-German artist Jeewi Lee (1987) presents a site-specific exhibition as part of Berlin Art Week. Her practice blends scientific material analysis, Taoist philosophy, and personal mythology into poetic, meditative visual worlds. Lee often works with simple, seemingly worthless materials that bear traces of time and impermanence. The exhibition presents new artworks that invite reflection on memory, transformation, and the aesthetics of the everyday.
Berlinische Galerie, Berlin – Lovis Corinth: Then Came Berlin! (October 9, 2026 – January 25, 2027, Berlin)
Lovis Corinth (1858–1925) is a key figure of Berlin Modernism. This exhibition highlights his rapid rise, his influence on the Berlin art scene, and lesser-known aspects of his work: his painting school, engagement with Berlin theater, and mentorship of female artists. Corinth’s expressive use of color and brushwork continues to shape modern painting. Around 130 artworks from the Berlinische Galerie collection showcase both major works and rarely exhibited paintings and drawings.
Gropius Bau, Berlin – Marina Abramović: Balkan Erotic Epic. The Exhibition (April 15 – August 23, 2026, Berlin)
Marina Abramović (1946) presents Balkan Erotic Epic through a combination of film, sculptural work, and performance. Central themes include rituals, eroticism, death, and the body as a site of political resistance. Her performances merge acts of personal endurance with transformed rituals, where the erotic body carries spiritual, political, and ecological significance. This exhibition marks the beginning of Abramović’s 75th anniversary celebrations, followed by an extended stage production at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in October 2026.
Gropius Bau, Berlin – Christoph Schlingensief: IT’S NO LONGER MY PROBLEM, DO YOUR SHIT YOURSELF (AT) (October 9, 2026 – January 17, 2027, Berlin)
The exhibition explores the visionary work of Christoph Schlingensief (1960–2010), highlighting intersections of political activism, theater, and performance art. Rather than a traditional retrospective, it places key bodies of work in dialogue, engaging visitors actively. Schlingensief’s practice revolves around questioning, doubt, and failure—a principle reflected throughout the exhibition.
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin – Shilpa Gupta (March 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027, Berlin)
Indian artist Shilpa Gupta (1976) addresses language, power, and control in her solo exhibition. The centerpiece is the monumental artwork TRUTH, which examines mechanisms that maintain or obscure truth. Additional works are displayed in dialogue with the Joseph Beuys collection. Gupta’s multidisciplinary practice—spanning installation, sculpture, video, and performance—explores social structures and collective narratives, highlighting the societal impact of shared histories.
Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin – Brancusi (March 20 – August 9, 2026, Berlin)
Brancusi (1876–1957) is a pioneer of modern sculpture. The exhibition presents over 150 artworks, including sculptures, photographs, drawings, and films, as well as a partial reconstruction of his studio. Light, perspective, and podium arrangements bring Brancusi’s reduced, organic forms vividly to life. For Germany, this is the first comprehensive survey in more than 50 years, offering a unique insight into his creative universe.
2026 promises to be a remarkable year for artwork in Berlin, Germany. To ensure all artworks can move safely between galleries, museums, and collectors, Moviiu provides a reliable solution for art transport. It protects artworks during transit and simplifies logistics, allowing everyone to focus fully on the display and experience of art.
| Venue | Exhibition | Dates | Artist |
| Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin | Brancusi | March 20 – August 9, 2026 | Constantin Brancusi (1876–1957) |
| Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin | Shilpa Gupta | March 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027 | Shilpa Gupta (1976) |
| Gropius Bau, Berlin | Marina Abramović: Balkan Erotic Epic. The Exhibition | April 15 – August 23, 2026 | Marina Abramović (1946) |
| Berlinische Galerie, Berlin | Marc Brandenburg: 20th Century Debris | April 17 – September 14, 2026 | Marc Brandenburg (1965) |
| Berlinische Galerie, Berlin | Jeewi Lee: GASAG Art Prize 2026 | September 11, 2026 – April 5, 2027 | Jeewi Lee (1987) |
| Berlinische Galerie, Berlin | Lovis Corinth: Then Came Berlin! | October 9, 2026 – January 25, 2027 | Lovis Corinth (1858–1925) |
| Gropius Bau, Berlin | Christoph Schlingensief: IT’S NO LONGER MY PROBLEM, DO YOUR SHIT YOURSELF (AT) | October 9, 2026 – January 17, 2027 | Christoph Schlingensief (1960–2010) |
Photo credits:
Constantin Brancusi, La Muse endormie, 1910, Bronze, Foto: Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn,
© Succession Brancusi – All rights reserved / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026
Constantin Brancusi, Selbstportrait im Atelier, um 1934, Foto: Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn,
© Succession Brancusi – All rights reserved / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026
Marc Brandenburg, Ohne Titel, 2024 (Ausschnitt), Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, © Photo: CHROMA, André Carvalho
Shilpa Gupta, TRUTH, 2022 – 2025, installation, overall dimensions: 400 x 1450 x 800 cm
© Shilpa Gupta, courtesy the artist and Galleria Continua, photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio
Shilpa Gupta, Untitled, 2017-2018, polymer resin, wood, 134.5 x 84 x 92 cm
© Shilpa Gupta, courtesy the artist, photo: Pat Verbruggen
