neue Gesellschaft
für bildende Kunst

In 2019, the competition Art in the Underground is dedicated to a critical examination of the armaments business. Through artistic approaches the historical conditions, economic and political interdependencies of the arms trade and its extent and ambivalences are to be experienced aesthetically and physically.

In the framework of Up in Arms, artistic interventions are to emerge in places that are connected to the armaments industry in Berlin. Artists are invited to conceive works in and around underground and suburban railway stations. Permitted are all artistic approaches that can be realized on billboards of station’s tunnel walls, in the area and vicinity of the stations themselves, as well as concepts and performances that transcend local boundaries. Economic and socio-political aspects, lobby-ism, social and political responsibility and connections between the arms industry and everyday life can be taken up. The historical context of Berlin as a significant production site for armaments during the Second World War and as a former center of Prussian military power are also of importance.

Art in public space and complementary guided tours are intended to add transparency about the actors in the arms industry and their effects and to inform the general public about their activities in Berlin. Beyond the city, cooperation with NGOs opens up further potential and scope for action for protest and engagement.

History of the competition
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the nGbK has been realizing artistic works under the project title Art in the Underground in or in the immediate vicinity of underground stations in Berlin. The annual, open and international art competition is held with the support of the Senate Department for Culture and Europe - Art in Urban Space. Initially, artists showed art as an alternative to adver-tising on the walls of various underground stations in Berlin. Since the 2000s, the competition has also included participatory and interventionist concepts.

The competition was held for the first time in the GDR in 1958 under the theme ′′Posters forPeace.“ In this time of global political tension, rearmament and fear of a new war, graphicdesigners were invited to apply in a public reflection on peace. In 1982, the competition alsoreacted to the arms race between East and West and the NATO-Double-Track-Decision withartistic means: art schools and technical colleges of the GDR were invited to make a publicposter presentation under the title ′′Peace of the World′′ at Alexanderplatz underground station.

nGbK Project Group:
Ayse Güngor, Cassandra Mehlhorn, Gabriela Seith, Amalie Sølling-Jørgensen, Johanna Werner
Project Coordination: Naomi Hennig

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Financed by Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa – Kunst im Stadtraum and supported by BVG and LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin

As part of Berlin Art Week