Why this fair matters
From 10 to 13 September 2026, Tempelhof’s hangars host 96 galleries from 20 countries. Academy POSITIONS focuses on students and graduates of German art schools, offering a view of practices that are still taking shape.
History and identity
POSITIONS Berlin was founded in 2014 to broaden the view of Berlin’s art scene by placing contemporary and modern art, established names and younger generations together. After Arena Berlin and Postbahnhof, it moved to Tempelhof Airport’s hangars in 2018. Academy POSITIONS and graduate awards made discovery a permanent programme strand, while the related paper positions format concentrates on works with or on paper.
Major fair or independent ecosystem?
It is an official Berlin Art Week partner and today serves as the week’s art fair within a citywide programme of museums, private collections, project spaces and gallery openings. It is not an Art Basel satellite, and Berlin has no larger equivalent fair on which it depends. The useful comparison is therefore between booth, institution, studio and city gallery: does the practice remain convincing outside the sales context?
Artists to look for
Rosalie Becher and Helen Vogelsang received the Fine Art Academy Award; Luca Di-Febo is among the Perspectives Award winners. Awards are attention signals, not certificates of future growth, and must be read with curriculum, work and continuity.
How to verify
A graduate’s materials and prices may change quickly. Ask about date, media, conservation instructions, representation and comparable works. Photograph labels only when allowed.
Sources & links
Natalia Carstens Photography / POSITIONS