The art collection of Berliner Volksbank will celebrate its 2025th anniversary in 40 with the exhibition Mensch Berlin, which will be shown in Berlin from February 20 to June 22 and then at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna from July 9 to August 31. The collection, which has focused on representational German art since its founding in 1985, now includes over 1.500 works by around 200 artists.
Particular importance is attached to the artistic exploration of divided Berlin, the period of reunification, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The exhibition takes up the original guiding principle, "Images of People – Images for People," and places it in a contemporary context. Alongside well-known works from the collection, rarely exhibited pieces are also presented, documenting life and social change in East and West Berlin. Works by artists such as Wolfgang Mattheuer, Werner Tübke, Norbert Bisky, Cornelia Schleime, Rainer Fetting, and Barbara Quandt are represented.
A special concept of the exhibition is the regular re-curation during its run in Berlin. The changing exchange of works creates a dynamic exhibition experience that opens up new perspectives for visitors with each visit. In Vienna, the exhibition will be shown with free admission at the Bank Austria Kunstforum in order to highlight the importance of the Berlin art scene internationally.