Celebrate 50 years of art: Akanthus Group opens major exhibition!

Celebrate 50 years of art: Akanthus Group opens major exhibition!

On September 10, 2025, the 50th anniversary of the “Akanthus Group” will be the focus of the Berlin art scene. [berlin.de] reports that the exhibition commemorating this anniversary will present a selection of paintings and graphics by 18 artists. The exhibition will take place from September 19, 2025 to March 20, 2026 in the Pankow town hall.

The vernissage, which will open on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 6 p.m., will be hosted by the district mayor Dr. Cordelia Koch organized. Jürgen Schmidt-Lingner, who has led the group since 1978, speaks introductory words. The evening will be accompanied musically by a string duo from the “Berlin Citizens’ Symphony”.

The Acanthus group

The “Akanthus Group” was founded in Berlin-Pankow in 1975 under the leadership of Lothar Rechtacek and has continued to develop since then. Schmidt-Lingner, who has been at the helm for almost five decades, emphasizes the tradition of regular meetings and annual study trips that contribute to strengthening the community and further training for members from the crafts, arts and sciences. The group's logo, a stylized acanthus leaf, symbolizes permanence and resistance.

The exhibiting artists, including Walter Ast, Jeannette Bonefeld and Heike Eger, present their works in a variety of painting techniques, such as watercolor and pastel. The exhibition themes focus predominantly on landscape and nature, which reflects the artists' connection to the environment.

Early experiences and exhibition archive

The “Akanthus Group” has an eventful history with previous locations at Klaustaler Platz, in the Kulturbaracke (1990) and in Kulti on Majakowskiring (1994). This development reflects Berlin's dynamic art scene, which, according to [galerie-pankow.de], has been continuously enriched with various exhibitions and artist projects since 2003.

The Galerie Pankow exhibition archive documents numerous events, including the openings by Ernst Schroeder and Andrea Pichl in 2025 as well as other notable exhibitions in recent years that underline the rich cultural life of Berlin.

A look at the Berlin art scene

Over the last few decades, Berlin has developed into an important center of the international art scene. [berlinartmagazine.de] emphasizes that this development is closely linked to the city's unique political and social history. The cost of living in Berlin is significantly cheaper compared to cities like New York and London, which allows artists to work risk-takingly and realize experimental projects.

Despite increasing internationalization, according to Hans Ulrich Obrist, Berlin remains a creative melting pot that continues to inspire artists and collectors from all over the world. The upcoming anniversary ceremony of the “Akanthus Group” promises to celebrate the rich tradition and future of the Berlin art scene and to further strengthen the community.