English
Deutsch
In its 20th year of existence, the 48 Stunden Neukölln art festival optimistically looks ahead – this year’s theme: Neue Echtheit.
In 2018 the 48 Stunden Neukölln art festival will take place for the 20th time. The Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe has included the festival in its list of events relevant to urban politics and will support it as part of the Festival Fund from 2018. “We are very happy that for the first time in the festival’s history we will be able to optimize structures and align the 48 Stunden Neukölln to the future”, explains festival director Dr. Martin Steffens. “This is an important signal for the many artists of the independent scene who have supported the festival for so long with their honorary commitment,” adds his colleague Thorsten Schlenger. With the support of the Festival Fund, it is now for the first time possible to support part of the participating artists with fees or material expenses.
In its 20th year, the festival also presents itself visually in a new light: the graphic artists from the Otto Sauhaus office in Neukölln are responsible for revising the appearance.
The theme for the year 2018 is “Neue Echtheit” referring to the issue of what is real, authentic and genuine. The festival deals with the current discussion of values about the real: is there a new desire for the original and authentic, despite or because of the current social upheavals? On the one hand, a recollection can often be observed: original craft skills in the arts are rediscovered as well as personal encounters beyond the social media. Do we have to learn the real thing again? After all, in a time of digital omnipresence, authentic experiences have a special value. On the other hand, the question arises as to what can be opposed to the distorted representations of the reality in digital echo chambers. And does the expectation of art to embody the “real” still hold true? What strategies have artists developed today to approach the real thing?
Participating artists:
48 Stunden Neukölln is a forum for artistic projects of all sections of the Berlin art scene. The festival presents and promotes art that contributes to and reflects on current social issues. Since its foundation in 1999, 48 Stunden Neukölln has established itself as Berlin’s largest free art festival with its exemplary character. The artistic works created here act as impulses far beyond Berlin-Neukölln, take a standpoint on questions of society as a whole and promote a lasting exchange with the international art scene.
For the second time in 2017, 48 Stunden Neukölln has been awarded the EFFE label (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe) as one of “Europe’s finest festivals”.
Read more: www.48-stunden-neukoelln.de
Image caption: Courtesy of 48 Stunden Neukölln – Das Kunstfestival
48 Stunden Neukölln – The art festival – 22nd -24th June 2018 | Zeitgenössische Kunst in Berlin – Exhibitions – ART at Berlin
