
What separates and what connects two artistic positions when almost a century lies between them? In the double opening of the Berlinische Galerie, the staging of supposedly invisible stories meets the big stage of the present. Model, photographer, and director Marta Astfalck-Vietz could do it all. In the dazzling and turbulent 1920s, she created a body of work in which self-staging was the central motif, without the works revolving around her alone. Female identity, gender roles, and stereotypes are central themes in her artistic practice. To this end, she stages herself and others, with sequins, wigs, or without any clothes at all. Sometimes sensitive and thought-provoking, often humorous and raunchy. “Staged Self” is the name of the show, and the title fits. On display are her photos, including those from her long-standing friendship and collaboration with Heinz Hajek-Halke, her lesser-known watercolors of plants, and selected photographs of contemporaries. On the same evening, “Hero”, Monira Al Qadiri‘s exhibition about her long-standing engagement with the global oil industry, will open.
Al Qadiri developed a site-specific installation for the Berlinische Galerie, consisting of a large mural, objects, and video. In it, oil tankers become floating representatives of the oil industry and its toxic legacy. The Kuwaiti artist works in speculative scenarios inspired by science fiction, pop culture, and her biography. Both openings are part of the BG Summer Festival, the Berlinische Galerie’s summer-long birthday celebration. There will be speeches, followed by DJ Nomi. A double kick-off that turns the BG into a space for bodies, images, and stories that want to be heard.
Text: Inga Krumme / Photo: Thi Thuy Nhi Tran / Credits: Marta Astfalck-Vietz, Ohne Titel, Kameradschaftsehe um 1930; Monira Al Qadiri, SS Murex 2023
Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstr.124–128, 10969 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Marta Astfalck-Vieltz & Monira Al Qadiri Opening 10.07.2025 19h
Performances, concerts, and readings will take place on the Museumsplatz of the Berlinische Galerie until September 2025. Find the full program of the “BG Summer Festival” here.
@berlinischegalerie