Visionary Artist Confronts the Absurd

Christoph Schlingensief was relentless in his pursuit of artistic truth, challenging audiences to witness the absurdities embedded in contemporary life. Gropius Bau's autumn 2026 exhibition, Es ist nicht mehr mein Problem, macht eure Scheiße alleine ("It's no longer my problem, do your shit yourself"), traces the arc of an artist who refused easy answers, spanning two decades of radical work across multiple disciplines.

Rather than a conventional retrospective, this exhibition orchestrates a conversation between Schlingensief's central bodies of work, revealing how his artistic strategies constantly infiltrated and challenged one another. From sensational political actions that shook Berlin's streets to radical stage productions that blurred performance and visual art, each project exemplifies his philosophy: "One can fail with enthusiasm, joy and intent. […] Much will happen if one manages to accept that failure is necessary to harnessing strength."

The focus here is not on finished objects but on the process of questioning, doubting, and failing that defined his artistic practice. His work remains a profound meditation on risk, vulnerability, and the necessity of failure as a pathway to transformation. This is Schlingensief's first major Berlin retrospective in over a decade.

Practical Information

Opening hours:

• Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri: 12:00–19:00
• Sat, Sun: 10:00–19:00
• Tue: Closed

Curated by Raphael Gygax, Christopher Wierling, and Dalwin Kryeziu, in collaboration with the Christoph Schlingensief Estate. A collaborative project by Gropius Bau / Berliner Festspiele, Wiener Festwochen | Freie Republik Wien, and MAK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst.

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