Gropius Bau hosts exhibition on art and migration in Kreuzberg

The Gropius Bau in Berlin is hosting the exhibition ‘Kreuzberg: Art and Migration since 1960’, which explores a significant but previously overlooked chapter of German and Berlin art history. Curated by Gürsoy Doğtas and Patrizia Dander, the show features works from more than 40 artists, many of whom arrived in West Berlin as dissidents or migrant workers from countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Iran during the 1970s and 1980s.

The exhibition focuses on realistic art forms that addressed themes of migration, exile, racism, housing shortages, and the socio-economic conditions of ‘guest workers’. Notable works include Hanefi Yeter’s 1979 painting ‘Kreuzberg Adalbertstr.’, which depicts the coexistence of Turkish vegetable shops and dilapidated housing.

In conjunction with Berlin Art Week, other installations are also featured, such as Stephanie Comilang’s video installation ‘Search for Life’. The Philippine-Canadian artist uses a pearl curtain to explore stories of pearl divers in the Philippines and pearl farming in China, using the pearl as a metaphor for globalization, capital, and labor. The Kreuzberg exhibition at Gropius Bau runs until January 17, 2027.