F*** You, Fomo. (Not) Getting Ready for Gallery Weekend Berlin

F*** You, Fomo. (Not) Getting Ready for Gallery Weekend Berlin

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Written by Marie Beckman

Leisure

Art by Nico Limo

Expectation

Every year I tell myself: Don’t miss out on this. It’s Gallery Weekend. It will be fun. I will see so many good shows, I will meet up with people who are in town to do the same, I will do a lot of daytime boozing and will be casually strolling through Berlin from one gallery to the next. I’m getting ready. I am blocking the last weekend of April months in advance. I am studying the list of openings, diligently circling the ones I will definitely go to. I carefully plan my schedule. Are ten openings a night too much? Absolutely not. After-Show dinners? Yes please! Maybe I’ll even meet some interesting (important!) people at an interesting (important!) party? After all, Gallery Weekend Berlin is one of the most important (interesting?) annual art events: For two days and two nights, more than 60 galleries open their doors for visitors – mainly collectors – from all over the world. Project spaces, museums and private collections piggyback on the event and provide a series of fringe events. A marathon of openings, screenings, talks, guided tours, and receptions. When it comes to art, there is no such thing as too much, amiright?


Reality 

Every year I am asking myself: Why am I doing this again? It’s Gallery Weekend. It’s stressful. I end up seeing a fraction of the shows I wanted to see, because my carefully planned out route actually doesn’t make any sense at all. I keep missing the from-out-of-town friends I wanted to meet because they are in Mitte when I am still stuck in Schöneberg, they take a taxi and I forgot where I locked my bike, they are invited to a cool exclusive barbecue in a dirty Hinterhof and I am not. I am stressed out on night 1. There are too many people. I see someone I (maybe?) know, but I am not sure if that person remembers who I am, so we just ignore each other. I get introduced to someone whose name I instantly forget and try to anticipate whether one or two cheek kisses would be appropriate. I get socially awkward. I stand around by myself, sipping on my lukewarm beer and go home without saying goodbye to anyone.

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JOMO 

Every year I remember: It’s ok to miss out. It’s ok to be lazy. Not too lazy though, because there actually are many great shows that are worth checking out. I, for instance, am very excited to see Leda Bourgogne at BQChristian Falsnaes at PSMYu Honglei at Kraupa-Tuskany ZeidlerLaurel Nakadate at Tanja WagnerPeter Wächtler at Lars FriedrichRebecca Ackroyd at Peres Projects and the group show Haptic House at HORSEANDPONY. But hey, no need to stress. You can wait until May to see all this. Meanwhile, maybe re-binge-watch your favorite TV show for the 5th time? Visit your parents and help them paint their kitchen walls. Try this ayurvedic full-body cleanse that your colleague recommended. Or indulge in any other activity that wholeheartedly says: F*** you, FOMO. Here’s to the joy of missing out.

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