Its structure is programmatic
The New Society for Visual Arts (NGBK) – an art society with 850 members, people with different professions and ambitions: cultural workers, scientists, political activists, architects, artists, art theoreticians, sociologists, media studies experts, students… Through their work as volunteers they all go to make up the organisation's distinctive structure, in which all project-related decisions are taken at grass-roots and realized jointly.
It is this organisational structure which makes the NGBK a unique institution, not only on the German art scene but internationally.
The "other" art society – since 1969
The NGBK was founded in Berlin at a time when the quest for change and new kinds of working conditions and ways of life – for a "new society" – was all-pervasive. As an art society it was designed as a counter-model to hierarchically structured institutions with homogeneous programmes. For almost 40 years now it has engaged itself with a wide spectrum of exhibition themes, presenting positions developed by both regional and international artists. This work has been made possible thanks to the kind support of the lottery foundation, the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin, which has funded the NGBK since its inception.
The NGBK programme is very varied and addresses social questions that feature little in the work of other institutions. This said, a number of issues can be seen to recur again and again in the society's exhibitions, events, and publications. They include the position of visual art within society, gender issues, issues of fascism and national socialism, participatory models in contemporary art, new forms of art education, future models of work and working structures, positions against racism and for freedom of movement within our society.
As a charitable body, the NGBK is in a position to invite young international artists independent of commercial interests, to present their positions and to support them in their experiments to break conceptional new ground. The exhibitions are accompanied and supplemented by discussions, lectures and other events, which questions concerning all aspects of society are examined in greater depth
The work of the project groups
All NGBK exhibitions and events are conceived by project groups made up of members of the society. Each year, members submit projects, which are then introduced, discussed and voted on at the general meeting. In this way, each member has the opportunity of actively shaping the programme in cooperation with at least four other members. The project teams work independently of one another and are supported and given advice by the staff at the society's office, which can provide experienced partners to assist them in all aspects of organizing exhibitions and projects.
In addition to changing project teams, a number of groups have long been engaged in continuous work. The NGBK's Realismusstudio has been existence since 1973, albeit with changing personnel, and continues to presents several exhibitions each year. It addresses contemporary artistic positions on current social questions, continuously examining the relationship between art and observer, the "exhibition" format as seen by experimental methodology as well as the presentation of art and art education in public space. In this way, young, less well-known and unknown artistic positions as well as internationally renowned artists enter into a dialogue.
Anyone can become a member
Anyone becoming a member of the NGBK can directly take part, bring in their own ideas and in addition receive
- invitations to all NGBK openings and events
- free admission (insofar entrance fees are charged)
- all NGBK publications at the reduced rate for members
- free admission to the exhibitions of art societies which are members of the Working Group of German Art Societies (ADKV)
- invitations to the meetings where new projects are introduced and discussed
- reduced rates for art society excursions and other activities
If you would like to become a member, please fill out the accompanying form or contact the NGBK staff.
At this website you will also find a chronology of all NGBK exhibitions since the foundation, all available publications as well as further information about the institution.