Galerie im Regierungsviertel – Official Profile
Name: Galerie im Regierungsviertel (often written “Galerie im Regierungsviertel Berlin”)
Founded: 2007, in the Regierungsviertel area of Berlin, by artists/initiators Maike Cruse and Tjorg Douglas Beer.
Mission & Concept
Galerie im Regierungsviertel was conceived as a flexible, mobile exhibition format rather than a traditional gallery fixed in one building. Its aim is to create a “travelling exhibition” platform — a structure that enables contemporary art presentations in diverse settings, even outside classical gallery spaces — reflecting a commitment to accessibility, experimentation, and curatorial freedom.
Through this mobile format, the gallery seeks to challenge conventional institutional boundaries. By functioning not merely as a conventional “white cube,” the gallery promotes a dynamic engagement between art, space, and audience, facilitating interventions in public and semi-public environments.
Activities, Notable Projects & Exhibition History
- Since its founding in April 2007, Galerie im Regierungsviertel has realized a wide variety of exhibitions across Europe and the United States — from major cities to alternative art spaces.
- Among its prominent projects:
- “GINNUNGAGAP / Pavilion of Belief” — a conceptual exhibition module that represents the gallery’s interest in belief, context, and sociopolitical tensions.
- “The Forgotten Bar Project” — a non-profit exhibition space run by the gallery inside a Berlin bar, offering a “gig-like” art and cultural program combining exhibitions, music, performance, and social gathering.
- In 2009, the gallery presented dual exhibitions: “NARCOTICA / Basel” (Basel) and “Elevator to the Gallows / X-Initiative, New York.” The latter transformed a freight elevator into an immersive installation — exemplifying the gallery’s experimental and site-specific approach.
- In 2011, the gallery — by then operating under the name Galerie Utopia — expanded its ambitions through initiatives like the first edition of Berlin Kreuzberg Biennale (“Ayran & Yoga”, 2010) and further international collaborations.
- Over the years, Galerie im Regierungsviertel has curated hundreds of exhibitions. Some artworks from earlier shows — donated or left behind — were collected in a retrospective project titled “The Forgotten Years 2007-2011.” In a notable presentation at Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, the gallery exhibited a monumental wall installation featuring 40 works from various artists around a central publication piece.
Legacy and Influence
Galerie im Regierungsviertel has contributed significantly to the experimental and independent art scene in Berlin and beyond by:
- Providing an alternative to conventional gallery systems — enabling site-specific, mobile, and flexible exhibitions.
- Fostering cross-border collaborations and international visibility for contemporary artists.
- Encouraging hybrid art forms — combining visual arts, installations, performance, nightlife, and social interactions (e.g. via The Forgotten Bar Project).
Through its metamorphosis into Galerie Utopia, the initiative extends its founding vision: creating contexts where existential, social, and political concerns meet artistic practice, outside the usual constraints of established art institutions.
Contact & Identity
Though not tied to a permanent exhibition space, Galerie im Regierungsviertel’s activities can be tracked through its network and associated curators/organizers. Its identity remains rooted in experimentation, mobility, and an open-ended approach to curating contemporary art.
Note: Since 2010, the entity is often referred to under the name “Galerie Utopia,” continuing the legacy and curatorial vision of the original project.
