Berlin Biennale 2025: Navigating Political Turmoil Through Art

The 2025 Berlin Biennale, under the guidance of Turin-based curator Zasha Colah, grapples with the challenge of balancing pressing global issues and the specific environment of berlin. The exhibition, wich runs until September 14, 2025, showcases a collection of works centered around the theme of “passing the fugitive on,” but its impact is somewhat diminished by the backdrop of notable political unrest in Berlin over the past year. The biennial is being held at various locations, including the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and a former courthouse in Moabit.

The Biennale’s Theme and Berlin’s Political Climate

Colah’s concept for the biennial predates the widespread protests in Berlin against cultural sector budget cuts, the Strike Germany movement boycotting institutions due to the government’s stance on the gaza war, and the censorship of exhibitions. Consequently,the biennial’s overall effect feels somewhat delayed,even tho many individual pieces retain their political urgency. The altered context in which they are presented lessens their impact.

Did You Know? The Berlin Senate initially proposed cutting the cultural budget by 35% in 2024, sparking widespread protests and ultimately leading to a revised budget with smaller cuts [[1]].

Moments of Resistance: Htein Lin’s “The Fly”

Despite the challenges,the biennial features moments of powerful resistance. Colah highlighted artist Htein Lin’s laughter in court while facing false charges of conspiring to overthrow the Myanmar government. She sees this as a central metaphor for the event: Lin’s laughter exposed the absurdity of the unjust prosecution, inspiring others to resist. Lin’s prison performance film, “The Fly” (restaged in 2008), presented at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, is both captivating and intense. The film depicts Lin, naked and seemingly bound, swatting at an imaginary fly, eventually catching and eating it before convulsing. He concludes the performance by questioning the audience’s silence.

Dada’s Diminished Spark

Other works in the biennial struggle to match the intensity of “The Fly.” Even references to Dada, a movement known for its rebellious spirit, fail to ignite a similar spark.Hannah Höch’s painting “Im Park” (In the Park, 1945), displayed at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, seems chosen more for Höch’s reputation as a dada photomontage artist than for its inherent impact. Similarly, Simon wachsmuth’s Dada-inspired film, “From Heaven High” (2025), shown at a former courthouse in Moabit, reimagines a 1920 work by john