Experimental art, 775 years of city history, the 300th anniversary of the birth of Prussian King Frederick II and ancient Egypt – the Berlin cultural year 2012 will be rich in events. The calendar is already bulging with anniversaries and cultural highlights. Every month there will be exciting reasons for a visit to Berlin. A selection:
Pergamon – panorama of the ancient metropolis
The ancient Pergamon is turned into a live experience on Museum Island. Until 30 September 2012 a 22 x 100 metre panorama with day and night simulation, music and everyday sounds revives the ancient city. At the same time the first major general exhibition on the ancient metropolis Pergamon is shown in the museum.
For film fans: The 62nd Berlinale
At the Berlinale every visit to the cinema becomes a special experience. In particular if you can admire the stars on the red carpet before the film. The 2012 Berlinale offers great cinema and attracts international stars to Berlin: US actor Tom Hanks and the Indian film star Shah Rukh Khan are expected to attend the festival in February.
Gerhard Richter Retrospective
Gerhard Richter is the most well-known and stylistically most versatile painter, sculptor and photographer of contemporary art. In the world ranking of living artists he is the uncontested number 1. On the occasion of his 80th anniversary on 9 February the Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin organises together with the London Tate Modern and the Paris Centre Pompidou a retrospective of his work. The exhibition includes 150 paintings and provides a comprehensive impression of Richter’s multifaceted, brilliant creations in dealing with colour, shape and canvas. For the exhibition the artist has especially realised the 200 metre long work of art “4900 colours”.
7th Berlin Biennale for contemporary art
The Berlin Biennale is one of the world’s most important exhibitions for contemporary art. Every two years international up-and-coming artists present their experimental works at different locations in the city. From 27 April to 1 July the Biennale will again represent a gathering of the creative scene in Berlin. The curator of the 7th Biennale will be the Polish artist Artur Zmijewski and the main theme will be social activism.
The “Old Fritz” turns 300
2012 will see the 300th anniversary of the birth of Frederick the Great. During the theme year of the Prussian King many exhibitions such as “Friederisiko” and events in Berlin and Potsdam provide insights into the life and work of one of the most versatile personalities in Europe. In Berlin the Deutsches Historisches Museum devotes, for instance, an exhibition to the Old Fritz entitled “Frederick the Great – respected, revered, reviled”. On 24 January a grand anniversary celebration will be staged at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt.
Foundation jubilee: Berlin celebrates 775th anniversary
775 years ago Berlin was mentioned for the first time in an official document. On the occasion of the anniversary Berlin places the “Medieval City” centre stage. During the historical city festival on 28 October fire shows and medieval sounds will take the Nikolai district back to times when it still covered the entire city. Under the title “City of Diversity” an open-air exhibition will be devoted to the Berliners. The Long Night of the Museums on 25 August and the Day of the Open Monument on 8 and 9 September will likewise focus on the history of the city.
Nefertiti – the most beautiful Berliner for 100 years
Ancient Egypt in the New Museum: For 100 years beautiful Nefertiti has attracted art lovers from all over the world to the German capital. The bust of the Pharaoh Queen was discovered on the Eastern Nile shore in 1912 and transported to Berlin in 1913. For the celebration of the anniversary the New Museum lets ancient Egypt come to life again with its collection of papyrus. A special exhibition on the Amarna period deals with the understanding of art and theology as well as everyday life of the Pharaohs.
One century of opera history
Since its foundation in 1912, Deutsche Oper Berlin has risen to the position of the most modern and second largest opera in Germany. It is considered as one of the most important stages for Wagner operas. To celebrate the 100th anniversary in autumn 2012 a new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” will be produced.
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More information on the 2012cultural highlights on:
Pergamon – Panorama of the ancient metropolis: Museum Island, until 30 September 2012
www.smb.museum; www.asisi.de
Celebration of the 300th anniversary of Frederick II: Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt 24.01.2011
62nd Berlinale – International Film Festival Berlin: Berlinale Palast on Potsdamer Platz
Friedrichstadtpalast and many other locations, 9-19.02.2012, www.berlinale.de/
Gerhard Richter Retrospective in the Neue Nationalgalerie: 12.02.-13.05.2012
Deutsches Historisches Museum “Frederick the Great – respected, revered, reviled”: 22.04.-29.07.2012
7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art: KW Institute for Contemporary Art and others, 28.04 to 01.07.2012
http://www.berlinbiennale.de/
Friederisiko: Neues Palais and Park Sanssouci, Potsdam, 28.04.-28.10.2012
City anniversary 775 years of Berlin, Historical City Festival: Nikolai district, 28.10.2012
www.berlin.de/775
100 years of Nefertiti in Berlin: Exhibition on the Armana Period: Neues Museum (Egyptian Collection), Papyrus Collection, 06.12.2012-13.04.2013
100 years of Deutsche Oper
http://www.deutscheoperberlin.de/
