Berlin Gallery Weekend: An Insider’s Guide with Anna Deilmann

During Gallery Weekend Berlin, the city resists a single narrative. Instead, it reveals itself as a shifting constellation of exhibitions, encounters, and overlapping artistic languages. It is less a fixed program than a rhythm, shaped by movement, proximity, and chance, across galleries, institutions, studios, and the informal spaces in between. This sense of movement—of art experienced in relation to its surroundings—also informs Anna Deilmann’s approach. She works across strategic art collaborations and projects within the real estate sector, developing initiatives that connect artists with architectural spaces, corporate partners, and broader cultural contexts. Her role is to bring these different worlds into dialogue, shaping collaborations that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of exhibition-making. Each project emerges through exchange, guided by timing, relationships, and the specific conditions in which it takes place.

Across artistic, architectural, and collaborative environments, Deilmann engages with practices where art is not contained but situated—held in relation to its context, its audience, and the structures that support it. What defines her work is not a fixed methodology, but a way of operating: responsive, connective, and attentive to nuance.

A similar sensibility shapes how she navigates Berlin. Moving between institutions such as the Neue Nationalgalerie and Hamburger Bahnhof, alongside galleries, studios, and more informal settings, she sees the city not as a fixed scene, but as something continuously in formation, defined by relationships, encounters, and shared time.

Here, Deilmann reflects on Berlin during Gallery Weekend—from the moments that shape its atmosphere to a one-day route through the city, as well as the places she returns to when the pace begins to slow.

WHITEWALL: Berlin feels like it’s building real momentum right now. What are the two or three moments in the city this week that truly shouldn’t be missed?

ANNA DEILMANN: It’s quite difficult to reduce that energy to just two or three moments. I tend to think of it less as a Gallery Weekend and more as a full Gallery Week, simply because it takes that long to begin to see everything worth seeing. The atmosphere naturally pulls you beyond the openings. You move between institutional exhibitions, artist studios, and adjacent practices, gradually taking in the full breadth of the city’s creative life.

If I had to name one moment not to miss, it would be Friday afternoon. It becomes an extended gallery walk, almost like an aperitivo in motion. You move from one exhibition to the next, run into friends, gather people along the way, and end up lingering in gallery courtyards, talking about what you’ve seen and what you shouldn’t miss. It’s very social, spontaneous, and genuinely enjoyable.

Another highlight is the official Gallery Weekend dinner, which Antonia Ruder and her team bring together each year. It’s a seated dinner for nearly a thousand guests, held in a different location across the city, bringing together international collectors and the local scene. It’s always a little chaotic, but in a way that feels lively and warm rather than overwhelming. It’s also one of the rare Berlin evenings where the usual understated “Berlin cool” gives way to something more expressive, with people embracing creativity in how they present themselves. This year feels especially personal, as the dinner also coincides with my birthday, and many of my friends will be there.

WW: Everyone comes to Berlin for art. What do you think is often misunderstood about the scene here?

AD: Berlin is often reduced to a stereotype of young, edgy visual artists and rave culture, but that only reflects a very narrow part of what is actually happening here.

What’s often overlooked is the breadth of the scene, and the fact that you can genuinely experience a wide spectrum of artistic practices within one city. There is, of course, a strong and diverse visual arts landscape, ranging from major institutional exhibitions like Brancusi at the Neue Nationalgalerie to more experimental, independently produced formats.

What makes Berlin particularly compelling is that this diversity extends well beyond the visual arts. You encounter the same range and intensity in the performing arts, from contemporary dance and performance to more classical forms. In recent years, I’ve been especially drawn to the work of the Staatsballett Berlin, whose program feels both deeply rooted and distinctly contemporary.

Rather than being defined by a single “scene,” Berlin is a place where different artistic languages coexist. Visual art, performance, dance, music, and experimental practices overlap and inform one another in a way that feels organic and unforced.

WW: If you had just one day in Berlin during Gallery Weekend, how would you map it out, from your first stop in the morning to your final stop in the evening?

AD: If I had just one day in Berlin during Gallery Weekend, I’d start early and accept from the beginning that it’s impossible to see everything. That’s part of the charm. You follow your instincts, your energy, and the rhythm of the city.For a broader overview, it’s always worth exploring the full program on the official website – I do like the Art walk section also if the tours are fully booked it shows you which galleries you can easily reach by walking in one area: https://www.gallery-weekend-berlin.de

Anna Deilmann’s Berling Gallery Weekend Guide

Morning, Coffee and Mitte Galleries

I’d begin the day in Mitte with a flat white to go from Röststätte. It’s a small ritual before diving into the density of exhibitions.

From there, I’d walk into the first cluster of galleries:
• neugerriemschneider for Jorge Pardo
• Sprüth Magers for Thomas Demand
• Galerie Neu for the group show “Counterplay,” with artists like Klara Lidén, Jana Euler, and Cosima von Bonin
• A second space of neugerriemschneider on Christinenstraße for Pae White

Mitte in the morning has a certain clarity. The streets are quiet, and the looking feels more focused, with just enough distance from the crowds that will come later.

Late Morning, Towards Kreuzberg

From Mitte, I’d slowly make my way toward Kreuzberg, stopping at Konrad Fischer Galerie. It’s not only for Daniel Buren’s work, but also for the architecture itself.

Then onward to Max Goelitz Gallery for a James Turrell exhibition. It’s one of those rare encounters with light that resets your perception entirely.

Early Afternoon

Lunch, Sale e Tabacchi
Right across the street, I’d settle into Sale e Tabacchi. It’s unpretentious, reliable, and perfect for a slow lunch in the sun.

After lunch, I’d stop by Trautwein Herleth to see Stella Zhong.

Then I’d grab a cab, because time is tight, and head to Berghain, specifically Halle am Berghain, for “Gravity Ease” by Juliet Kothe, part of her “HOUSE” series curated by David Douard. It’s one of those quintessential Berlin moments. Independent and experimental, deeply rooted in the city’s cultural DNA, yet operating with strong international positions.

Mid-Afternoon

From there, another cab across the city to the Neue Nationalgalerie.

Here, I’d finally see the Brancusi exhibition, which feels long overdue, and spend time with Regular Animals by Beeple, curated by my friend Lisa Botti. The show explores how meaning and authorship shift in a world shaped by invisible technological systems. It feels particularly urgent right now.

At this point, I’d probably tell you to extend your trip. But let’s keep going.

Late Afternoon, Potsdamer Straße Walk

I’d walk down Potsdamer Straße, one of the most concentrated gallery stretches in the city:
• Esther Schipper for Tauba Auerbach and Celeste Rapone
• Galerie Judin for Jorinde Voigt
• Galerie Max Hetzler for “The Self Assessed,” curated by Cornelius Tittel, with a standout work by Rita Ackermann

A quick detour into Andreas Murkudis, arguably the best concept store in the city, before continuing to Galerie Molitor. There, Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili’s exhibition “Georgia” explores identity, ancestry, and perception, triggered by a deeply personal discovery through a DNA test.

Early Evening, Schöneberg
Next stops:
• KOW for Candice Breitz
• ChertLüdde for Petrit Halilaj

Halilaj’s exhibition is especially powerful. It unfolds in parallel with his institutional show at Hamburger Bahnhof and reflects on the aftermath of a violent attack on his work. The result is intense, emotional, and absolutely essential.

Evening, Charlottenburg Finale
To close the day, I’d head to Charlottenburg:
• Galerie Max Hetzler (Bleibtreustraße)
• Michael Werner Gallery
• Max Mayer Gallery
• Société

And finally, I’d end with a drink at Alexander Levy in Alt-Moabit, a gallery I’ve been connected to since 2013. Their presentation of Anne Duk Hee Jordan is immersive and multi-sensory, exploring ecosystems as interconnected processes.

If You Still Have Energy, Institutional Must-Sees
• Gropius Bau
• Hamburger Bahnhof
• Boros Collection
• Klara Lidén at KW

Final Thought

This itinerary is ambitious. Almost unrealistic. But that’s exactly what Gallery Weekend Berlin is about. Movement, overload, conversations, and unexpected moments in between.
If you can, stay another day. Berlin rewards those who linger.

WW: Right now, where does the most interesting energy lie, are there particular artists, galleries, or spaces that feel especially alive to you?

AD: Right now, I feel that much of the most interesting energy lies in institutions that are actively rethinking how to engage broader audiences with art. Both the Neue Nationalgalerie and Hamburger Bahnhof are doing this in very compelling ways. Their approaches differ, but each is developing strategies to reach more diverse audiences and to function as platforms for exchange, rather than places visited only when a new exhibition opens.

The Neue Nationalgalerie, for example, is hosting a series of talks throughout the weekend with artists and cultural figures, addressing current challenges within the cultural field and responding to what’s happening across the gallery scene. At Hamburger Bahnhof, the program surrounding Lina Lapelytė’s commission extends into an interdisciplinary format, with talks, music, and conversations that expand the exhibition into something more dynamic and time-based. It’s well worth exploring both programs more closely.

More broadly, the energy of Gallery Weekend isn’t tied to specific places or singular moments. It’s present across the city, shaped by the people within the Berlin art scene and by a strong sense of community. Combined with the presence of international visitors, this creates a particular kind of vibrancy. Berlin feels confident in what it has to offer, and that confidence carries through the entire weekend.

What I value most, and what I feel increasingly, is a sense of cohesion. Of course, there are tensions and internal dynamics, but I tend to step away from those, as they rarely lead anywhere productive. What stands out instead is the emphasis on collaboration.

From early on, I experienced how relationships with artists and gallerists develop over time—how networks are built, insights deepen, and trust grows through ongoing exchange. I’ve always believed in focusing on realizing projects rather than thinking in terms of competition, which I’ve often encountered more strongly in other art capitals. In Berlin, there is a real openness. Bringing a gallerist to another gallery’s dinner is not necessarily a “no go.” Connecting directly with artists, or linking the art world with other fields such as fashion, feels natural. As long as there is a shared commitment to quality and transparency, that openness holds.

If I had to name one place that embodies this spirit, it would be Malzfabrik. It’s a shared studio space for artists such as Julian Charrière, Julius von Bismarck, Andreas Greiner, and Felix Kiessling, all connected through Olafur Eliasson’s class Labor für Raumexperimente at UdK. There’s a remarkable continuity of energy there—an ongoing commitment to ideas and to making. Being able to witness that process, and to be in dialogue with it, is incredibly inspiring.

More than anything, I have deep respect for everyone working within this ecosystem—artists, curators, gallerists, freelancers. It takes an enormous amount of dedication to sustain a scene like this and to keep it evolving.

WW: Outside of the exhibitions, where do you go to experience Berlin at its best, your favourite places to dine, have a coffee, relax, or shop?

AD: In that sense, I don’t really stick to specific styles or areas. I fully enjoy the diversity Berlin has to offer. It can range from long-standing classics like Grill Royal, Paris Bar, or Borchardt to something more low-key, like a ramen terrace at Cocola Ramen or a small coffee spot in Kreuzberg, dobedo, that also sells upcycled, handmade clothing.       

For shopping, there’s honestly never much time during Gallery Weekend, but I do often stop by Andreas Murkudis, as it’s conveniently located near many galleries on Potsdamer Straße. I also like visiting the ceramic atelier of my friend Maxi Hoffmann in Reuterkiez, often combined with a coffee at The Barn just across the street. Otherwise, for coffee, I really enjoy the ZEIT Café at Tankstelle, as it’s connected to the spaces of Pace Gallery and Galerie Judin. It’s a great place to pause for a moment.

I always feel the need to balance out the intensity of the weekend, but since my schedule tends to be spontaneous and quite tight, I don’t really have fixed wellness spots. I usually end up booking last-minute massages at small Thai places or in hotels. That’s something I could definitely improve. What I always manage, though, no matter how big the hangover is, is to stick to my routine of a short jog through Tiergarten. It’s my way of getting fresh air and reconnecting with nature.

My favorite way to end a Gallery Weekend day is at Victoria Bar on Potsdamer Straße. It’s a true institution of the Berlin art scene, and one of those places you rarely leave without an unexpected and inspiring encounter.