Berlin's Bellevue Palace Opens for Rare Art Before €600M Restoration
Berlin (dpa) — Just before undergoing major renovations, Bellevue Palace will briefly transform into an art gallery. The official residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set for years of restoration work. But before construction begins, the palace will host a two-week pop-up exhibition from June 13 to 28, according to a joint announcement by the Office of the Federal President and Berlin's Academy of Arts. Works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Monica Bonvicini will be on display.
The Academy explained that the one-of-a-kind exhibition was made possible because the palace must be emptied ahead of renovations, allowing the president to temporarily open its spaces to contemporary art.
The restoration of both Bellevue Palace and the adjacent Presidential Office is expected to take roughly eight years, with estimated costs of at least €600 million. Steinmeier and his staff are scheduled to relocate from the premises before the summer recess.
How to get tickets
Once renovations begin, the palace will remain closed to the public—but the art exhibition offers a final chance to glimpse inside. Starting May 18, free timed-entry tickets can be reserved via the Academy of Arts website (www.adk.de), the statement said.
"The Bellevue Palace, as the seat of the head of state, is a symbol of our liberal democracy—and thus not a neutral exhibition space," the Academy of Arts noted. "The artistic works will deliberately enter into a tense dialogue with a place that embodies liberal democratic representation and political symbolism."
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