It seems hard to believe, but after weeks of social distancing we are finally allowed to visit our favorite cultural institutions once again. And though we might be a little hesitant to enter these public spaces, we naturally still want to support the city’s arts scene. To get us back into the rhythm, here are our tips for post-quarantine culture. While the Berliner Festspiele stages remain dark until at least 31.05.2020, the doors of the Gropius Bau have already reopened, where Lee Mingwei’s solo exhibition “禮 Li, Gifts and Rituals” can be seen until 12.07. As the name suggests, the Taiwanese artist’s performances and installations deal with the ritual and practice of giving. Over at KW Institute of Contemporary Art starting from 30.05 is a long-awaited full retrospective from Emirati conceptual artist Hassan Sharif, who approaches the Emirate of Sharjah in drawings, paintings, assemblages, installations and performances. At Haus am Waldsee, meanwhile, things are getting surreal with “Image Ballet” from painter Bernhard Martin, who gathers images from social media and incorporates them into apocalyptic scenarios. On the museum portal of the Kulturprojekte Berlin website you can see in detail which institutions are already open and which will follow soon. More than enough culture to catch up on, then! (Text: Hanna Komornitzyk / Art & Photos: Bernhard Martin, Image Ballett Installation 4, Roman März & Hassan Sharif, Dictionary, 2015; Dictionary, 1981; Installationsansicht der Ausstellung I Am The Single Work Artist in den KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2020, Courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation Collection; Frank Sperling & Lee Mingwei, Guernica in Sand, Taipei Fine Arts Museum)

Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstr.7, 10963 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Exhibition: Lee Mingwei: 禮 Li, Gifts and Rituals, until 12.07.2020
Wed–Mon 10–19h, it is recommended that you book tickets in advance online.
@gropiusbau

KW Institute of Contemporary Art, Auguststr.69, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
Retrospective: Hassan Sharif, until 19.07.2020
From 30.05 Wed–Mon 11–19h
@kwinstitutefcontemporaryart

Haus am Waldsee, Argentinische Allee 30, 14163 Berlin–Zehlendorf; map
Exhibition: Bernhard Martin: Image Ballet, until 05.07.2020
Tue–Sun 11–18h
@hausamwaldsee

Played by Julia Windischbauer, Deme is the main character in the The Vacuum Cleaner, the latest play by Japanese author and director Toshiki Okada, streaming online from Friday (08.05.2020) as part of this year’s Virtual Theatertreffen. Beyond going onto her balcony to tend to the laundry, Deme never leaves her house, much like her housemate Homare, who at 40 still lives with her father and never works or goes out. Homare is a hermit, what is known in Japan as Hikikomori. And Deme is her vacuum cleaner. More than a mere appliance, Deme drowns out anger and screams, acting as a therapist and ally. Tripping and dancing across the stage in one of Tutia Schaad’s enchanting costumes, Windischbauer credibly inhabits and breathes life into her appliance character, keeping the household together and connecting residents who have nothing more to say to each other. This play views withdrawal as a reaction to the pressure to perform, and in doing so critiques capitalism. The loneliness that this withdrawal brings lies – despite Windischbauer’s wonderful slapstick – like a thick layer of dust on the stage. (Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Julian Baumann)

The Vacuum Cleaner by Toshiki Okada, translated from Japanese by Andreas Regelsberger, premiered at the Münchner Kammerspiele and screened as part of Virtual Theatertreffen.
The stream is available online from 08.05.2020, 20h to 09.05.2020, 19h59 free of charge, donations welcome.
Interview with the director and the cast: 08.05.2020, 21h55
@berlinerfestspiele
@muenchner_kammerspiele