Step Out of the Strange Light

About

Curators: Krisztina Hunya, Melanie Roumiguière

With 'Step Out of the Strange Light', Neuer Berliner Kunstverein continues its series of group exhibitions with artists who have been awarded the Berlin Senate’s work stipends in the visual arts. The exhibition serves as a platform for diverse positions of contemporary art production in Berlin and reveals numerous connections between the various artistic and thematic focal points.

At the heart of many of the contributions is an examination of real and imagined places, shaped both by ideological implications and collective practices. A further common aspect is the impulse to reveal and question structures that are inscribed in, yet often hidden behind, forms of emergence and transformation of the social condition.

The challenges of the covid-19 pandemic that framed the grants in 2020 were and remain extraordinary. The artists’ work was impacted by cancelled research trips, postponed film projects, and uncertainties in exhibition planning. At the same time, the grant has seldom been more important for securing independent artistic practice and the feasibility of new projects. The importance of a group exhibition in Berlin is also clear: for many of the participants it is one of the few public presentations since the start of the pandemic.

The title of the exhibition 'Step Out of the Strange Light' refers to a line from the song 'Come to Life' (1976) by Arthur Russell. It continues the n.b.k. tradition of associatively linking the presentation of the Senate fellows with a musical piece. The interdisciplinary approaches of many of the exhibited works will be reflected on in an extensive online program that includes artist talks, video premieres, and discussions.