Art in the Foyer of the High-Rises
The Berlin housing company Degewo founded the gallery to support artists in Marzahn, Hellersdorf, and Biesdorf. In 2020, Degewo managed around 75,000 apartments. At that time, under the neighborhood manager Catharina Wendt, it organized numerous social projects in the neighborhood, such as school enrollment celebrations and courses for children.
The gallery is located in the foyer of the high-rise buildings at Raoul-Wallenberg-Straße 40/42 in 12679 Berlin. In the same building is the Skywalk Marzahn with a view over the city.
The Essentials at a Glance
- The Degewo High-Rise Gallery is located in the foyer of Raoul-Wallenberg-Straße 40/42 in Berlin-Marzahn.
- It was founded by the housing company Degewo to promote art in the district.
- Kristina Schrandt led the gallery for 17 years, and on April 1, 2020, Diana Achtzig took over.
- Mainly solo and dual exhibitions of Berlin female painters were shown.
The gallery under Kristina Schrandt
For 17 years, Kristina Schrandt managed the gallery on behalf of Degewo. The former editor of DEFA film production was also involved as a spokesperson in the neighborhood council.
Even under her leadership, Diana Achtzig exhibited several times in the gallery. The first solo exhibition, "Young Girls with Their Favorite Animal", showcased animal watercolors on paper from September 12, 2018, to January 9, 2019. From January 13 to May 16, 2020, "Portraits – Fusion of Animal and Human" followed with more watercolors.
The new gallerist Diana Achtzig
On April 1, 2020, Diana Achtzig took over the management of the gallery. The animal portrait painter, sculptor, and contemporary artist studied at the University of the Arts Berlin. She has been working as a painter, sculptor, and gallerist for about 30 years, initially in Amsterdam, then in Berlin. She runs the Achtzig Galerie Berlin and the Achtzig Kunstakademie Berlin and, according to her own statements, taught at universities for 17 years.
Since 1990, she has exhibited internationally, including in the Netherlands, the USA, China, Canada, and Italy. Her paintings, sculptures, and lithographs are, according to her own statements, in about 45 private and public collections. You can read more about her gallery in the article Kunstgalerie Berlin Achtzig for contemporary art.
Exhibitions from 2018 to 2022
The exhibitions in the foyer could be freely visited by guests. A selection:
- 12.09.2018 to 09.01.2019: “Young Girls with Their Favorite Animal”, solo exhibition by Diana Achtzig
- 13.01. to 16.05.2020: “Portraits – Fusion of Animal and Human”, solo exhibition by Diana Achtzig
- 02.08. to 23.09.2020: “The Winter Journey”, solo exhibition by Heidrun Kaiser
- 23.09.2020 to 13.01.2021: “Nature, Human and More…”, dual exhibition by Renate Stemmler and Karin Marschke
- 13.01. to 31.03.2021: “Chimeras of Animal and Human in the Time of the Corona Pandemic”, solo exhibition by Diana Achtzig
- 31.03. to 09.06.2021: “Happy Painting vs. ARTenVielfalt”, dual exhibition by Manuela Weger and Monika Bachmann
Afterwards, the gallery showed among others “Travel Impressions”, “Impressions” by Heidrun Kaiser, Animal Portraits by Diana Achtzig, “Diversity” by Renate Stemmler and Karin Marschke, the Monday Painters from Biesdorf, “Worth Seeing” by Monika Bachmann and Paintings by Manuela Weger.