Exhibitions

Kyiv Biennial: A Bird That Cannot Land

Berlin, Germany

A nomadic journey through fractured histories, exploring the weight of exile and belonging in a shifting Europe.

Kyiv Biennial: A Bird That Cannot Land

Image credit

Saodat Ismailova, As We Fade, 2024. Courtesy the artist. Installation view of the exhibition. Kyiv Biennial – A Bird That Cannot Land. at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2026. Photo: Frank Sperling.

Meet the artist

Lesia Vasylchenko, Saodat Ismailova, Geta Brătescu, Abdullah Miniawy, Adam Hanieh, Alona Karavai, Anna Ehrenstein, Yara Mekawei, Anna Zvyagintseva, Anton Kats, Grounded Outer Space People, Assaf Gruber, Aykan Safoğlu, Azar Mahmoudian, Bulgarian Voices Berlin, Dana Kavelina, Eda Aslan, Farahnaz Sharifi, Fehras Publishing Practices, Flaka Haliti, Gulnur Mukazhanova, Heinali, Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko, Hito Steyerl, Hiwa K, Ihor Tsymbrovsky, Ivan Krastev, Joyce Joumaa, Julia Cimafiejeva, Katarina Gryvul, LABOUR (Farahnaz Hatam & Colin Hacklander), Lida Abdul, Lucia Kagramanyan, Madina Tlostanova, Majd Abdel Hamid, Mona Hatoum, Nazanin Noori, Neda Saeedi, Nour Sokhon, Oleksiy Radynski, Philipp Goll, Samia Halaby, Sattar Stas Shärifullá, Ziliä Qansurá, Seyyare – Anatolian Women’s Choir, Stefaniia Bodnia, Jack Dove, Tjan Zaotschnaja, Tolia Astakhishvili, Ulrike Herrmann, Wafaa Saied

The Movement

Art Installation, Contemporary Art, Contemporary photography, Contemporary Sculpture, Immersive Installations, Video Art Movement

ArtLovers Tip

Look for the limited-edition coloring book featuring drawings by Geta Brătescu; it is available for free to younger visitors but worth a look for any admirer of the Romanian artist’s playful, rhythmic lines.

Exhibition Highlights - What you'll see

The Kyiv Biennial arrives in Berlin as a nomadic chapter, turning the KW Institute into a vessel for stories that transcend borders. This iteration, titled A Bird That Cannot Land, gathers over forty international voices to examine the Middle-East-Europe region—a space defined by the heavy echoes of coloniality and the persistent rhythm of migration. It is a profound meditation on the state of exile, suggesting that the inability to find a permanent home is perhaps the defining condition of our modern age.

You're watching a sprawling dialogue across the entire building, where the air hums with the static of archival sound and the soft glow of video installations. Large-scale fabric works by Gulnur Mukazhanova and the intricate, wire-like structures of Anna Zvyagintseva occupy the galleries, creating a landscape of affective architectures that feel both fragile and resilient. The scale is immersive, moving from the intimate whispers of diasporic memories to the resonant power of communal singing in the main hall.

Worth the trip

  • A Nomadic Milestone: Witness the evolution of the Kyiv Biennial as it travels outside Ukraine, creating a vital trans-European space for artistic resistance and reflection.
  • Global Perspectives: See significant works from diverse figures like Hito Steyerl, Mona Hatoum, and Geta Brătescu together in a single narrative about displacement.
  • Total Immersion: Experience the KW building entirely transformed, where the traditional boundaries between gallery space, concert hall, and academic forum are dissolved.

How to experience it

Start in the main hall to absorb the sonic installations before winding through the upper floors, where the video works demand a slower, more contemplative pace. The exhibition is designed as a polyphony, so let the different languages and sounds overlap rather than trying to isolate them. Afterward, walk through the courtyards of Auguststraße to reflect on how Berlin’s own history of division mirrors the themes explored in the show. Entry is free on selected Thursdays and special open house days.

Because you are an artlover,

Join our community of art enthusiasts and discover exhibitions, artists, and masterpieces tailored to your tastes. Get personalized recommendations and never miss a must-see show again.

Join us