Life Across
Art and Migration in Berlin
The exhibition presents Berlin as a city where the histories of art and migration are closely intertwined.
Location
Ephraim-Palais
First Floor
Poststraße 16
10178 Berlin
Opening Hours
Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(also on public holidays)
Mon closed
Additional Opening Hours
see Info & Service
Admission
7 euros (single ticket) | 15 euros (combi-ticket*) | free admission (under 18 years or with reduction)
*Valid on two consecutive days for the Ephraim-Palais, the Nikolaikirche and the Knoblauchhaus.
“your roots are there – your branches are here – you yourself are here – your mind is there”
What does it mean to live between places, languages and memories? Artistic positions from the 1970s to the present explore this question. Rarely exhibited works from the Berlin Museum collection and selected loans tell stories of exile, everyday life and self-determination. Archival materials and audio interviews with the artists complement the artworks and open up transnational perspectives on Berlin’s history and the many stories connected to it.
The artists’ journeys are as diverse as their works. For some, Berlin became a new home where they could study and develop their artistic practice. For others, it became a place of refuge.
What traces have migration and exile left on Berlin’s art scene? How do experiences differ between East and West Berlin? What role do networks, shared spaces and self-organisation play? The exhibition explores artistic practice through painting, graphic art, film and sculpture.
With works by:
Cecilia Boisier, Santos Chávez, Ximena Ferrer Pizarro, Evelyn Kuwertz, Ertekin Özcan, Minh Duc Pham, Núria Quevedo, Chetna Vora and Hanefi Yeter.
“Life Across: Art and Migration in Berlin” is part of the Berlin Museum’s focus on migration history. It is accompanied by “A Change of Scenery: Migration and Furniture since 1960”, curated by Burcu Dogramaci and Manuel Gogos and also presented at the Ephraim-Palais. Running until 3 January 2027, the exhibition brings together artistic works and documentary material exploring the themes of home-making, furnishing living spaces, migration and exile.
Alongside “Life Across: Art and Migration in Berlin”, the Gropius Bau presents from 10 September 2026 to 17 January 2027 “Kreuzberg: Art and Migration since 1960”, curated by Gürsoy Doğtaş and Patrizia Dander.
Curated by Christine Heidemann and Aurora Rodonò, together with Pia Dressler and Antonia Welch Guerra (Berlin Museum).
Supported by
Part of
Info & Service
Opening Hours
Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (also on public holidays)
Mon closed
The visitor rules of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin apply.
Directions
Poststraße 16
10178 Berlin
Tickets
Admission
Combi-Ticket
15 euros
Valid for our three museums in the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolaikirche, Ephraim-Palais, Knoblauchhaus) on two consecutive days (please note opening hours)
Single Ticket
7 euros
Day ticket for the Ephraim-Palais
Free admission
With proof of reduction
for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, students, trainees, FSJ/FÖJ/BFD volunteers, Berlin Ticket S holders, severely disabled persons (at least 50% GdB) and their Personal Assistant, refugees (with a valid work or residence permit/eAT and a Ukrainian passport or valid residence permit from Ukraine), recipients of transfer payments (Bürgergeld, ALG I), holders of the Berlin-Brandenburg Ehrenamtskarte, holders of the Super-Ferienpass / Berliner Familienpass, ICOM members, members of Deutscher Museumsbund, Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Stadtmuseums Berlin e. V. (except for the Museumsdorf Düppel), Förderverein Museumsdorf Düppel e. V., and Förderkreis Museum Knoblauchhaus e. V., media representatives with a valid press card.
Contact
Infoline
+49 30 240 02 – 162
Mo – Fri | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Write E-Mail
Accessibility
The Ephraim-Palais is accessible without steps. All exhibition areas are accessible via an elevator. There are barrier-free toilets in the building.