The Freie Berliner Kunstausstellung (FBK), the “Free Berlin Art Exhibition” in Berlin (Germany), was “unique in its structure”. For 24 years, from 1971 to 1995, it was the only non-juried art exhibition of its size in Europe. It opened after the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung, the “Grand Berlin Art Exhibition”, a juried art exhibition, had closed its doors. Supported by the Senate of Berlin, an association, called the Freie Berliner Kunstausstellung was registered in 1970 with the goal to organize annual exhibitions. Hans-Joachim Zeidler became chairperson of this association for the first four years, followed by Ernst Leonhardt (Artist). During the association's last four years, Karin Rech took over the leadership.
History
The first FBK took place in the exhibition halls at the Funkturm Berlin in 1971. At that time, the so-called Counterculture of the 1960s movement was already in full swing. The unrest of this period had inspired many social groups, and artists as well were “woken up”, as Zeidler reported in his review in 1983. Already at its beginning, the FBK was able to “look back on a Berlin tradition that was dating back to the Weimar Republic.” However, early evidence of non-juried art exhibitions points to the 19th century. A poster collection at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum contains a poster by Ludwig von Hofmann. The draft of this poster – which he had originally designed in 1893 for the first Große Berliner Kunstausstellung – was rejected. The portrayal of a “sparsely clad young man was apparently seen as an offense and was removed by the Berlin police, according to contemporary reports.” As some artists had been rejected by the jury of the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung, a second exhibition, which had called itself FBK, was organized, running concurrently with the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung. Its location was close by, across the road at the Moltke Bridge. It accepted Ludwig von Hofmann's poster. Käthe Kollwitz, who was still an unknown artist at that time, exhibited in 1895 in the FBK which had always been seen as an alternative to the juried art exhibitions.
In addition to these early historical roots, the Non-Juried Art Exhibition featured a direct predecessor in 1965, as mentioned in the archives of the Association of Female Artists of Berlin. After the FBK had presented its first exhibition in 1971, it took 12 years for an acting mayor of Berlin to officially comment on the exhibition. Such comments had been anticipated for years. In 1983 Richard von Weizsäcker was the first mayor who was willing to write words of acknowledgement. Since then greetings from the acting mayor of Berlin became a tradition.
For the first time in 1990, after what was called Die Wende – after the fall of the Berlin Wall but before German reunification – Walter Momper, mayor of Berlin at that time, congratulated the FBK, hoping for “satisfied artists and many interested visitors from East and West”. In 1991 the time had come to announce: “The 21st FBK is finally a free exhibition for all artists of Berlin.”
From the very beginning, the “fiercely controversial but hotly loved” FBK faced criticism, sometimes there was even harsh rejection. The critics turned against the concept of a non-juried exhibition, as well as the inclusion of anyone who wanted to exhibit. This allowed “young, unknown, perhaps also ‘not so good’ artists, such as hobby artists, to participate.” Many rejected this concept. Leonhardt pointed out the “charm of the FBK” and stressed that for some it was “a spring-board to a great career”. For Nicole Bröhan, the “always controversial mixture of professional and amateur artists […] created its special appeal”. In 1994 she wrote in the Berliner Zeitung that she saw the FBK as “talent forging”. Despite all the positive reports, the FBK's continued existence was always at risk. “What a triumph! The FBK, which is dead at least once every year, will turn 25. Who would have thought?” With these words, Ernst Leonhardt, meanwhile honorary chairman of the association, began his review at the FBK's 25th anniversary. He could not know at that time that, due to the financial situation, it would be the last opening of the FBK. For that exhibition to take place at all, there was an “art auction during which 1,000 works donated by Berlin artists were auctioned off” – “in order to support the exhibition”.