Kunsthaus Tacheles

Kunsthaus Tacheles is a former department-store building in Berlin-Mitte that became an internationally known artist-run cultural centre after German reunification. The building housed studios, galleries and a large courtyard used for sculptures and installations and became a prominent site of Berlin’s alternative art scene.

During the 1990s and 2000s the site hosted working artist studios, exhibitions, performances and public events and became synonymous with Berlin’s post-reunification creative community. It later underwent legal and ownership disputes that led to eviction of many artists in the early 2010s and subsequent redevelopment of the site.

The building is located in central Berlin’s Mitte district and occupies an urban block near major city transport and cultural routes.

• Period of occupation: From the early 1990s until the early 2010s the building operated as an artist-run cultural centre and squat known for open studios, exhibitions and public performances.

What to See #

• Sculpture courtyard and studios: Large central courtyard and ground-floor exhibition spaces that were used for studios, sculpture displays and open-air installations during its years as an art centre.
• Gallery and studio rooms: Upper-floor gallery and studio rooms that housed working artists' studios, exhibition spaces and alternative cultural events during the building's occupation by artists.