Studio Berlin III
The Situation of Berlin’s Artists and the Gender Gap
Institute for Strategy Development (IFSE), August 2018
3IFSE – Studio Berlin III
Mind the Gap!
After New York, Berlin is the most important contemporary art production centre
worldwide. Under what conditions do the artists live in this city We address this
question concerning the situation of Berlin’s artists within the scope of this study.
This is our third publication on contemporary art in Berlin. The pilot study was
published in June 2010 in cooperation with Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.).
The goal of the frst publication was to analyse the development of Berlin’s art
scene, which many could only describe as a wonder and which at the same time
gave rise to an opportunity to examine the conditions of the artists in Berlin.
The second study, which took place in the following year, was a response to
the exhibition ‘Based in Berlin’ and the plans for a new ‘Kunsthalle’, a publicly
funded museum of contemporary art, of the then Mayor and Senator of Culture
Klaus Wowereit. More than 2,000 activists from the art scene protested against
this ‘exhibition of young art from Berlin’ with an open letter entitled ‘to have and
to need manifesto’. They demanded a discourse on the conditions of the artistic
and cultural production in the city and the ‘participation of all art and cultural
workers in the symbolic capital of the city of Berlin’, to which they had con tributed
greatly. We analysed the working and living conditions of artists in Berlin and
presented the results to the public as a contribution to the debate which started
in 2011. One focus of the study was the increasing shortage of space for artistic
practice in Berlin. Everyone is afected by the precarious situation in art, but it
was noticeable that, as in other areas of society, there is a fairly substantial gap
between women and men.
This gender gap in the feld of visual arts is the focus of our new investigation into
the situation of Berlin’s artists. Our research shows that the gap between female
and male artists is multifaceted, and occurs both in the exhibition context and
in terms of fnancial income. A closer examination of this gender gap should not
segregate the artists, but rather bring them together so they can work collabora
tively on the problems exposed and overcome them. Because inequality between
men and women is an intrinsic reality in the art world, it deserves our attention.
Nevertheless, we do not want to exclude anything or anyone by focusing on the
gender comparison. Especially when it comes to the precarious economic situa
tion, it should always be remembered that precarious conditions should be over
come together, regardless of gender. This time, the initiative came from our
cooperation partner, the Professional Association of Visual Artists Berlin (the
bbk berlin). To develop the more than 100 questions, IFSE once again worked
4IFSE – Studio Berlin III
alongside many key players and institutions in the Berlin art feld. Out of an esti
mated 8,000 professional artists, 1,745 took part in the survey. The participants
are between 19 and 89 years of age. As in 2011, 63% of the survey participants were
women and 34% were men. The average age is 47 years old.
In 2017, the fnancial income resulting from their artistic practice only fully
covered the expenses of 20% of the artists. For all the others, the artistic prac
tice is a lossmaking business. The income resulting from their artistic produc
tion covers on average up to only 44% of the expenditure incurred. The unstable
economic situation is particularly felt by female artists. They earn even less than
their male counterparts. Women have a greater share in parenting, and when it
comes to separation, in nine out of ten cases the single parent is the mother. Here
the art sector does not deviate from the norm in Germany. Due to the precarious
conditions in the art world, this often means that children and career are mutu
ally exclusive. At the moment, it is mainly women who point out this gender gap.
Men should also address this sociopolitical problem as it is in their own interest.
All in all, the fgures which emerged from our survey were what we expected, but
they are still alarming in many aspects. One could take for granted the expecta
tion that visual artists will have a low income, however, that it is so low is really
frightening. Based on our fndings, we wish for a dialogue on diverse approaches
and measures to improve the artists’ economic situation. In the frst study an
idea was developed and remains applicable and its relevance has once again
been confrmed in this current study: A contemporary art development plan for
Berlin that regards art in Berlin as the city’s cultural asset and introduces it as
an issue which deserves its own developmentoriented cultural policy. This plan
can create conditions and perspectives for fruitful developments. An initiative
from representatives of cultural policy would be desirable, but the frst step can
also be taken by the cultural workers themselves. The former should understand
that the starting point is appreciation and commitment to those who create out
standing value for this city under demanding conditions. The latter should not
be discouraged by any resistance or setbacks when telling and demanding their
perspective on the creative city. What matters is that we fght for the best ideas
that we can actually implement, rather than arguing about what should be done.
New York City published the frst comprehensive cultural plan in the city’s his
tory in 2017. A group of artists and activists have presented their own version of a
cultural plan in response. We should follow this example. The study results pre
sented here are intended as a basis for constructive measures and as an impe
tus for a discussion about new forms of participation in Berlin’s cultural policy.
We thank all participants of the survey; the number was overwhelming! Thanks
to the bbk berlin for the initiative and the varied assistance with its implemen
tation. We would like to thank all those who have contributed suggestions and
criticism or have provided us with information. The IFSE study was supported by
the Senate Department for Health, LongTerm Care and Gender Equality and by
boesner Berlin, a supplier of artist materials. They all made this study possible.。