Axel Wieder Named New Director of Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art
Axel Wieder, former director of Bergen Kunsthall, has been appointed as the new director of the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. The selection committee, chaired by Katharina Grosse, unanimously chose Wieder on April 22, 2024. He will succeed Gabriele Horn, taking office on August 1, 2024, to oversee preparations for the 13th Berlin Biennale, curated by Zasha Colah, set for summer 2025.
Axel Wieder’s Vision for the Berlin Biennale
In his statement, Wieder expressed his excitement for the new role:
“The Berlin Biennale is one of the most outstanding experimental platforms for contemporary art in the world—it makes new curatorial approaches and artistic positions accessible to a broad public while consistently maintaining its critical vantage point. I am very much looking forward to continuing these traditions as well as Gabriele Horn’s visionary work, including her astuteness regarding cultural policy, together with a fantastic team. It is important to me to continue to open the Berlin Biennale up to urban society, develop collaborations, and redefine its relationship to Berlin as an art hub. In doing so, I view the long-term project process of the biennale model as an important quality, one that facilitates investing into substantive debates and dialog.”
A Glimpse into Axel Wieder’s Career
Axel Wieder studied art history and cultural studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the University of Cologne. He has served as the director of Bergen Kunsthall since 2018, where he led an acclaimed interdisciplinary program. Wieder’s previous roles include:
- Director of Index – The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation in Stockholm (2014-2018)
- Director of Programs at Arnolfini in Bristol (2012-2014)
- Program Head at Ludlow 38 – Goethe Institute in New York (2010-2011)
- Artistic Director of Künstlerhaus Stuttgart (2007-2010)
In 1999, he co-founded Pro qm, a bookshop and discourse platform in Berlin. Wieder has taught at various universities and art academies, including Bauhaus Universität Weimar and Zurich University of the Arts, and publishes in magazines and anthologies.
Focus on Innovation and Community Engagement
Wieder’s work emphasizes the history and theory of exhibitions, architecture, and social spaces, along with political representation. Under his leadership, Bergen Kunsthall’s programs expanded to attract new audiences through ambitious collaborations. Joar Nango’s 2020 exhibition there was named the best exhibition of the year in Norway.
Support from the Art Community
Katharina Grosse, Chair of the Board, KUNST-WERKE BERLIN e. V.
“We are very pleased to have been able to win over Axel Wieder as future director of the Berlin Biennale. Wieder not only has a broad professional network at his disposal, he is also familiar with current discourses as well as the organizational processes relevant for a large-scale, international exhibition format like the Berlin Biennale. His committed approach to strategic opening processes of cultural institutions to new groups of visitors and partners convinced us, as has his considerate, team-driven, and future-oriented leadership style. We look forward to working together in the future. We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the outgoing director Gabriele Horn, whose over 20 years of dedication have made the Berlin Biennale what it is today: one of the most important and preeminent biennials in the world.”
Katarzyna Wielga-Skolimowska, Artistic Director of the German Federal Cultural Foundation
“In the twenty years that the German Federal Cultural Foundation has been supporting the Berlin Biennale, Gabriele Horn has been a constant force. Under her direction, the exhibition developed into one of the most important international forums for contemporary art. Gabriele Horn navigated the Berlin Biennale through turbulent times with great skill and determination. In doing so, she always pushed changing curatorial concepts and the artists to the forefront. Now one era ends and a new one begins. We are looking forward to working with Axel Wieder, who is connected globally as well as being firmly rooted in Berlin—an excellent foundation for shaping this new phase with much experience and intuition.”
Gabriele Horn’s Legacy
Gabriele Horn, who led the Berlin Biennale since 2002, will retire on July 31, 2024. Horn’s tenure saw the Biennale grow into a major international forum for contemporary art. She ensured the exhibition’s local and international establishment and its financial stability. Horn’s leadership preserved the Berlin Biennale’s autonomy and experimental nature while building it into a professional institution with sustainable structures.
Klaus Biesenbach, Founding Director of KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art
“I congratulate Gabriele Horn on her tremendous achievement. With her art-oriented and determined leadership, she has established the Berlin Biennale as one of the world’s most innovative and recognized exhibitions in contemporary art.”
The Selection Process
KUNST-WERKE BERLIN e. V., the supporting association of KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale, organized the selection process. Axel Wieder emerged as the top candidate from numerous international applicants. The selection committee included prominent figures from the art world and was led by Katharina Grosse.
With Axel Wieder’s appointment, the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art looks forward to a new era of innovation and engagement with both local and international art communities.
