Artists

Deva Schubert, Miriam Kongstad, Trisha Brown, Kianí Del Valle, Josh Johnson

Press release

On the occasion of Berlin Art Week, the Neue Nationalgalerie presents the fifth edition of its performance art festival PERFORM! At the heart of this year’s programme is Trisha Brown’s Walking on the Wall (1971), a seminal work of the American Judson Dance movement, presented on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. Further performances by Kianí Del Valle, Josh Johnson, Miriam Kongstad, and Deva Schubert offer a range of perspectives on contemporary approaches to performance. As is tradition, the programme of PERFORM! takes a historically groundbreaking performance as its point of departure. Trisha Brown’s Walking on the Wall (1971) has been further developed in close collaboration with the Trisha Brown Dance Company and will be presented on the exterior glass façade of the Neue Nationalgalerie. From 9 to 12 September 2026, the work will be performed once daily at 5 pm on the terrace of the Neue Nationalgalerie. On Sunday, 13 September 2026, performances will take place at 2 pm and 6:30 pm. With INSTRUCCIONES PARA EXISTIR (INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXISTING), presented on 9 and 13 September 2026, Berlin-based artist Kianí Del Valle and the KDV Performance Group present a work developed specifically for the Neue Nationalgalerie. In her practice, Del Valle combines dance with stunt elements, placing the body in direct relation to the surrounding architecture. INSTRUCCIONES PARA EXISTIR responds to Mies van der Rohe’s iconic building while also offering a contemporary homage to Trisha Brown’s pioneering practice. On Sunday, 13 September 2026, performances by Josh Johnson, Miriam Kongstad, and Deva Schubert will complement the festival programme. Detailed Programme for PERFORM! 2026 All performances of the PERFORM! festival take place in areas of the museum that are also accessible without a ticket. In the event of limited capacity, admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Curators PERFORM! is curated by Klaus Biesenbach, Director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, together with Lisa Botti, Curator at Neue Nationalgalerie, and Gregor Quack, Volkswagen Group Curator. PERFORM! performance art festival Over the past four years, the Neue Nationalgalerie has presented the PERFORM! performance art festival to great acclaim as part of Berlin Art Week. Taking historical positions by Simone Forti (2022), Yoko Ono (2023), Yvonne Rainer (2024), and Joan Jonas (2025) as their starting points, previous editions have also featured contemporary contributions by artists including Göksu Kunak, Miles Greenberg, Enad Marouf, Bendik Giske, Constantin Hartenstein, Billy Bultheel, Isaac Chong Wai, and Corey Scott-Gilbert (vAL). The American Academy in Berlin is a partner of PERFORM! 2026.