Four of Berlin’s high-profile contemporary art institutions have strongly condemned plans by the city’s Senate to slash budgets for arts funding next year, a lifeline for many museums and artists in the German capital.
The Senate voted to cut the budget by 13% in 2025, to about 130 million euros or $136 million. The cuts are a major blow to the city’s arts community, with some institutions saying budget cuts will impact their arts sectors not only in the short term, but also in the long term.
Among these institutions is the Schinkel Pavillon, a contemporary art space that has provided acclaimed showcases for cutting-edge artists such as Anna Uddenberg, Mire Lee and Pope.L. Last week, Schinkel Pavillon said it expected to lose 50% of its capital and may even be forced to close permanently as a result.
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On Thursday, four other contemporary art institutions – KW Institute for Contemporary Art, nbk, nGbK and Künstlerhaus Bethanien – also expressed strong opposition to the cuts.
“There is a threat at the state and federal levels of critical infrastructure being dismantled and third-party funding simultaneously reduced,” the agencies wrote in a joint statement. “This would trigger a domino effect that would result in a chronic shortage of cultural offerings in the city and a greater than usual Access to culture has never been more restricted regardless of income.”
Furthermore, they said the cuts would significantly reshape the presentation of some of Berlin’s most important art spaces.
“The cuts weaken democracy,” the agencies wrote. “Culture is education, positive enlightenment and diversity of life. Culture enhances social cohesion, combats xenophobia and is clearly an economic driver. Cultural funds are directly reinvested in cities – trade, services and tourism.”
Some claim that the cuts are not worth it, considering that culture funding accounts for just over 2% of Berlin’s city budget. The Berlin Museum Association said last week that this was a “painful burden” for institutions, especially smaller ones whose funds are already tight. In a statement, the association expressed its view of a bleak future, which includes layoffs and severe programming cuts.
Even Germany’s top politicians scoffed at the Senate plan. Berlin’s Culture Senator Joe Chialo said the cuts were “very drastic and brutal” and pledged to find a way to rethink the plan.
