Gallery Weekend Berlin (GWB) expands from 50 to 57 participating galleries in 2025, introducing a new section called Perspectives that features smaller, younger galleries previously excluded from the event. The 20-year-old event, which began with 21 dealers aiming to attract international collectors to Berlin, has grown into a major sales week for galleries. Perspectives includes galleries like Anton Janizewski and Persons Projects, with a reduced participation fee of €4,500 (half the usual €9,000), subsidized by the Berlin Senate. The selection committee invites galleries rather than accepting applications, a process that has faced accusations of elitism.
This expansion matters because it addresses long-standing criticisms that GWB's roster had stagnated since 2015, with only four regularly participating galleries founded in the past decade. The move reflects broader challenges facing Berlin's art scene: rising costs, arts funding cuts, and the erosion of the city's bohemian identity that once attracted artists. For emerging galleries like Mountains, which opened in 2019, Perspectives offers a crucial entry point into a market where expectations have become more global and financial pressures more intense. The initiative signals whether Berlin's commercial art scene can adapt to retain its relevance as a creative hub.