Discover the artworks of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images with art historian Dr. Elisabeth Klotz on a blind tour. From image descriptions to backgrounds of the artworks and themes of the exhibition, we guide you through the PalaisPopulaire. Sighted interested parties are also welcome!

In cooperation with Haus für Poesie

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. Limited capacity. In German.

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Mounira Al Solh, His Funeral, Our Funeral, Their Funeral, 2023 © Mounira Al Solh. Photo: Natalia Reich

In the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images poetry meets art. As part of the 27th Poetry Festival, blind and sighted poets will read from a newly published anthology. The event, in cooperation with the Haus der Poesie, promises an immersive experience into another sensory world.

Under the title Seeing Words, Reading Images, works from the Deutsche Bank Collection are currently on display at PalaisPopulaire in collaboration with the Written Art Collection, one of the most significant private collections of text-based art.

On International Museum Day, editor Marco Sagurna, in a poetic intervention accompanying the exhibition, will present the newly released anthology "Look here - Poetry in Braille" (Kulturmaschinen Verlag 2026) at PalaisPopulaire, together with poets Clara Cosima Wolff and Salean A. Maiwald. The anthology collects poems in black print and Braille. The poems by the 25 represented blind and sighted poets* – including Ilma Rakusa, Volker Sielaff, and Rüdiger Stüwe – are not only tactilely readable, but also conceptually refer to seeing and hearing, to the invisible and the visible. The anthology was created in collaboration with the Lower Saxony Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and was awarded the publishing prize of the Free State of Bavaria.

In addition to the reading, the Lower Saxony Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired will offer a Braille workshop for children at 11 am, and PalaisPopulaire will offer an exhibition tour for blind and visually impaired people starting at 2 pm.

A joint event with PalaisPopulaire and the Blind and Visually Impaired Association of Lower Saxony e.V.

In cooperation with Haus für Poesie.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. Limited capacity. In German.

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Salean Maiwald © privat, Marco Sagurna © Willi Rolfes, Clara Cosima Wolff © privat

As part of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, visitors can participate in a Sprachcafé at PalaisPopulaire. Each meeting will focus on one of the art works on display and offer the opportunity to exchange thoughts on themes such as foreign language, writing, and shared experiences. The meetings will be led by Dóra Sági, an expert in German in multilingual contexts and aesthetic language education. Whether young or old, new or long-time Berliner – everyone is welcome at the language café to discuss art, society, and personal experiences over a hot drink and cake.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German.

Explore the works of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images by phone. During the one-hour telephone tour, led by artist Sarah Steiner, the works are explained in detail, the participants will discuss the background and themes of the exhibition. Sighted visitors are also welcome!

In cooperation with Bei Anruf Kultur

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German. You will receive the telephone access details for the event after your confirmed registration.

Berlin's literary scene is on the move: traditional publishing houses have returned to the city, and numerous new publishers have emerged. We want to dedicate a special event format at the PalaisPopulaire to both: "writers’stage – New Literature from Berlin." Katharina von Uslar and Edgar Rai select the most exciting voices from the latest publishing programs, introduce the authors, and discuss their new novels with them.

In cooperation with the Uslar & Rai bookstore

TICKETS HERE
Cost: 9€. Limited Capacity. In German.

Based on the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, featuring works from the Written Art Collection in dialogue with the Deutsche Bank Collection, you are invited to an extended tour of the newly curated selection at the largest bank branch in Berlin. This tour will offer fascinating insights into the corporate collection as well as works by international artists, including Marcel van Eeden, Maria Lassnig, Mathilde ter Heijne, and Makoto Sasaki.

TICKETS HERE
Price: €5. Limited capacity. In German.
Meeting point: in front of the entrance to the Deutsche Bank branch, Otto-Suhr-Allee 6, 10585 Berlin.

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Photo: Frederike van der Straeten / Berliner Philharmoniker

Marie-Kathrin Krimphoff and Svenja Gräfin von Reichenbach guide through the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images. The curators present the works on display and discuss in conversation their curatorial approach and how the works from the Written Art Collection interact with the Deutsche Bank Collection.

TICKETS HERE
Price: 5€. Limited capacity. In German.

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Marie-Kathrin Krimphoff and Svenja Gräfin von Reichenbach, Photo: Kristina Schulz

In the chamber music series “Workshop.Dialogue.Music” at the PalaisPopulaire, members of the Berliner Philharmoniker introduce themselves and their instruments and talk in a relaxed atmosphere about the works presented, their interpretations, and their approach. Questions and a dialogue with the audience are expressly encouraged!

In Nevin Aladağ's sculpture, "Public Resonator," the idea of sound space condenses into an abstract form, a unity of instruments that can be played by several people simultaneously. These become part of an improvised composition that also raises social questions: How is public space filled with resonance? Are there harmonies, dissonances? When do the individual and the collective come together?

In his work "Naturale" for viola, percussion, and tape (1985), the Italian composer Luciano Berio combines so-called Abbagnate (street vendor calls) from tape with the transcription of Sicilian folk songs for viola (Sebastian Krunnies) and percussion (Jan Schlichte). And in the concert's second work, "Duo for viola and percussion," Armenian traditions meet Western European modernity in the unusual combination of viola and percussion, creating stylistically and musically appealing perspectives.

TICKETS HERE
Price: € 22 incl. French breakfast
Free choice of seats on site.

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Photo: Martin Heinze and Jan Schlichte © Stefan Hoederath

After the breakfast concert of the Berlin Philharmonic on June 14, 2026, we will join in musically and activate Nevin Aladağ's sculpture. Musicians will show us which sounds the work can produce.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. Limited capacity.

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Nevin Aladağ, Public Resonator, 2023 © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026. Photo: Sara Bernshausen

As part of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, visitors can participate in a Sprachcafé at PalaisPopulaire. Each meeting will focus on one of the art works on display and offer the opportunity to exchange thoughts on themes such as foreign language, writing, and shared experiences. The meetings will be led by Dóra Sági, an expert in German in multilingual contexts and aesthetic language education. Whether young or old, new or long-time Berliner – everyone is welcome at the language café to discuss art, society, and personal experiences over a hot drink and cake.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German.

“The summer came and Berlin was the most beautiful place on earth." (Quote from the film "Goodbye Lenin!")

We are celebrating the start of summer with DJ SENU on the terrace of the PalaisPopulaire. We offer drinks at sunset and short guided tours through our current exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images. Accompanied by the DJ's atmospheric set, we want to dance together and enjoy Berlin's summer vibe. The music is inspired by the cultural treasures of the African continent and the sounds of the Black diaspora, flowing seamlessly between old and new polyrhythmic sounds.

TICKETS HERE
Cost: 5€. Limited capacity.

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DJ SENU, Photo: Joanna Ledig

With works from the Deutsche Bank and Written Art collections and loans, the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images looks closer at the themes of homeland, democracy, language, and freedom. In the guided tour in German Plain Language, selected works are presented and explained.

Free of charge and no registration required.
In German.

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Photo: Frederike van der Straeten / Berliner Philharmoniker

On the last weekend of June, the Berlin Book Festival will take place at Bebelplatz under the motto "Experiencing Togetherness". The walking distance and thematic proximity to the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images at PalaisPopulaire offers a nice connection: the firmly established monthly Sprachcafé will place a special focus on literature.

Dóra Sági, an expert in German in a multilingual context and aesthetic language education, leads the Sprachcafé at PalaisPopulaire and offers an interactive session connecting art and language for young and old, Berliners and newcomers.

In cooperation with the Berlin Book Festival

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German.

For 60 years, the Stiftung Buchkunst has annually awarded 25 outstanding books in “The Best German Book Design” competition for their exemplary concept, design, and production. This year, too, literature and book culture are central components of the art and culture program at PalaisPopulaire. As part of this year's “Terrace Talk,” one of “The Best German Book Design” will once again be presented, which, primarily through its design and production, provides immediate access to the book's content.

In line with the current exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, which explores the interface between art and writing, several speakers will discuss how books, through holistic design, become effective and appealing conveyors of knowledge and ideas.

In cooperation with Stiftung Buchpreis and ShopPopulaire by muse.

TICKETS HERE
Price: 5€. Limited capacity. In German.

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© Stiftung Buchkunst, Photo: Carolin Blöink

As part of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, visitors can participate in a Sprachcafé at PalaisPopulaire. Each meeting will focus on one of the art works on display and offer the opportunity to exchange thoughts on themes such as foreign language, writing, and shared experiences. The meetings will be led by Dóra Sági, an expert in German in multilingual contexts and aesthetic language education. Whether young or old, new or long-time Berliner – everyone is welcome at the language café to discuss art, society, and personal experiences over a hot drink and cake.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German.

One of our final classic FreeTours through the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images will be extraordinary: Together with drag queen Cali Harburg (sofa queen, intellectual, philosopher, and migrant), this tour offers a queer perspective on the background, concepts, and highlights of the exhibition.

TICKETS HERE
Price: 5€. Limited capacity. In German.

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Photo: Cali Harburg

One of our final classic FreeTours through the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images will be extraordinary: Together with drag queen Cali Harburg (sofa queen, intellectual, philosopher, and migrant), this tour offers a queer perspective on the background, concepts, and highlights of the exhibition.

TICKETS HERE
Price: 5€. Limited capacity. In English.

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Photo: Cali Harburg

As part of the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images, visitors can participate in a Sprachcafé at PalaisPopulaire. Each meeting will focus on one of the art works on display and offer the opportunity to exchange thoughts on themes such as foreign language, writing, and shared experiences. The meetings will be led by Dóra Sági, an expert in German in multilingual contexts and aesthetic language education. Whether young or old, new or long-time Berliner – everyone is welcome at the language café to discuss art, society, and personal experiences over a hot drink and cake.

REGISTRATION HERE
Free of charge. In German.

With works from the Deutsche Bank and Written Art collections, the exhibition Seeing Words, Reading Images looks closer at the themes of homeland, democracy, language, and freedom. During this guided tour, selected works will be presented in German Sign Language in conversation with the artist Veronika Kranzpiller, providing space for in-depth discussion.

Free of charge and no registration required.
In German.

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Photo: Mathias Schormann

Who is in the running for Germany's most coveted book prize? Katharina von Uslar and Edgar Rai present the six nominees in the final round of the German Book Prize 2026.

In cooperation with the Uslar & Rai bookstore

TICKETS HERE
Price: 9€. Limited capacity. In German.

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Photo: Edgar Rai & Katharina von Uslar