Berlin Masters 2016. Silence As Attitude

About

Originally initiated in 2013 by Matthias Arndt and the curators Lisa Polten and Lydia Korndörfer, the project aimed to provide a platform and talent show for Berlin's young artists. The main objective of the project is to facilitate the entry into the professional art world for living artists in Berlin after their completion of their studies. Since then, the BERLIN MASTERS format has become an integral part of Berlin's autumn art period. In addition to participating in the curated exhibition BERLIN MASTERS, the initiative provides living and working artists in Berlin under the age of 30 with a Masters of Arts - or an equivalent qualification - artist "mentoring". As part of this forum, the artists receive insights into the workings of the art market and gain valuable contacts with private collections and galleries for their own future network.

Building on the success of previous years, BERLIN MASTERS has continued to expand its format. Philip Bollmann has been appointed curator and creative director of BERLIN MASTERS 2016.

The curator, and organizer A3, work together with an advisory board of five members, consisting of leaders in the Berlin art scene. The individual board members will also make themselves available in a mentoring capacity to the artists. The "BERLIN MASTERS AWARD" is also planned, whereby an artist will be selected by the curator and advisory board, providing them with the opportunity to hold their first solo exhibition.

To achieve maximum publicity and clearly promote and support of the selected young artists within the exhibition, the duration of BERLIN MASTERS 2016 has been extended to overlap with BERLIN ART WEEK. BERLIN MASTERS 2016 will run from the 10th to the 23rd of September in A3’s new premises on Fasanenstrasse in Berlin in the historic art district in the city’s West. The exhibition will open on Friday the 9th of September. From 2017, BERLIN MASTERS will be held in A3’s premises in cooperation with an institutional partner.

We hope that the newfound strategic innovation implemented with this years’ edition will add further professionalism to the exhibition format, thus deepening existing cooperations with museums, galleries, publishers, collections and art magazines with the "masters of tomorrow". The ultimate aim is to facilitate a seamless and successful transition for the artists after their studies helping to provide them with new exhibitions, projects, scholarships and other grants.

As co-initiator of BERLIN MASTERS, Berlin art expert Matthias Arndt presents the project with the newly established Arndt Art Agency (A3), offering a new style of support and artist services for the next generation of artists. Curator, Philipp Bollmann studied Art History and History at the Freie Universität, Berlin. Since 2008 he has held the position of curator at the Wemhöner collection. In addition to numerous publications and contributions to exhibition catalogues, since 2016 he has been responsible for the content and strategy the two exhibition series’ Berlin Masters and Schloss Tüssling Projects.

ARTISTS:

Franziska Beilfuß

Walker Brengel

Lisa Drost

Timon & Mechior Grau

Henri Haake

Rafael Ibarra

Yuni Kim

Manuel Kirsch

Lilia Kovka

Phillip Lüttjohann

Olivia Parkes

Anja Spitzer

Björn Streeck