Provincial and divided: Until 1989 East and West Berlin were both largely cut off from the international art scene. Only when the Wall came down and Germany was united did the city rise again as a hub of the arts. Waste land, empty dwellings, cheap rents, creative niches, work-in-progress, pop-up spaces – in the 1990s, the sense that something new was taking shape attracted many young artists from all over the world. Galleries set up camp in the capital, and so did newspapers and magazines. New art institutions, project spaces and contemporary art formats sprouted, among them the berlin biennale, held for the first time in 1998 with major international participation. The emerging art scene and vibrant club landscape forged the legend of young, creative, partying Berlin that still persists today.
