It’s finally that time of the year when the art world emerges from its summer hibernation and kicks into full gear with a whirlwind of autumn programming. One of the biggest events this month in Europe is the eighth edition of Berlin Art Week, which officially includes two art fairs, 18 institutions, 15 private collections, and 26 project spaces throughout the entire city—not to mention the four art awards and their ceremonies. So enjoy your last few nights of beauty rest and prepare yourself for the sleepless ride to come.

This year we’re happy to be a media partner of Berlin Art Week again, yet we must say: There’s a lot to see and not a lot of time, so here’s to hoping you touched down early. If you’re in town before the official festivities begin on September 11th, we suggest knocking a few things off the list that are already open. Among these are the exhibition “Micro Era: Media Art from China” at Kulturforum, a group show featuring heavy-hitters Cao Fei and Lu Yang in dialogue with Fang Di and Zhang Peili; Bettina Pousttchi’s site-specific, large-scale photographic installation at KINDL (we’ll come back to her a little later); “Roots,” Ai Weiewi’s third solo exhibition at neugerriemschneider with iron sculptures cast from artistically arranged roots of long-deceased pequi trees found during a visit to Bahia’s rainforests; and the nine solo exhibitions of the Berlin Art Prize finalists at various project spaces, each of which showcase work by some of the city’s best emerging talents. Then, on Saturday night swing by the award ceremony at Flutgraben e.V. to hear who won.

Come Wednesday, Berlin Art Week officially starts and what better place to begin than by returning to Bettina Pousttchi, who is having a major Berlin moment? In addition to the monumental installation at KINDL, on Wednesday she’ll open “In Recent Years,” a solo exhibition at Berlinische Galerie (where you should also be sure to visit “original bauhaus: the centenary exhibition”). Here, the German-Iranian artist, who always deals with concepts of site specificity in relation to time and space, will present a new work stretching along the entire glass façade of the museum as well as an overview of her sculptural and photographic practices indoors. Expect mechanically transformed bicycle racks, guardrails, images of site-specific works around the world, and much more.

Also on Wednesday are two exhibitions opening in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. From 6 pm onward, we highly recommend visiting the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein to see “1989–2019: Politics of Space in the New Berlin,” a dense exhibition that outlines the urban and architectural developments of the city in its post-wall era, acknowledging its multifaceted history and construction. Concurrent to this is the opening of “Walking Through Walls,” a show at Gropius Bau that explores the experiences of vulnerability and anxiety that can be caused by power structures which thrive on confinement and segregation. Although this event will surely complement your experience at n.b.k., we suggest visiting the museum later in the week so you can also see “There is no nonviolent way to look at somebody,” Wu Tsang’s largest exhibition to date. The culmination of a year-long residency at Gropius Bau, her show presents films as well as sculptural work, alongside a stained-glass piece commissioned specifically for the iconic building.

However, if you’re not in the mood for openings loaded with history or would simply prefer to see such shows after a cappuccino rather than glass of wine, then head to Julia Stoscheck Collection on Wednesday between 7 and 10 pm for WangShui’s first solo presentation in Europe. Part of the space’s ongoing “Horizontal Vertigo” series curated by Lisa Long, WangShui, a self-described “amorphous studio,” is presenting three filmic, diaristic works that address intimate modes of transformation through restaging architecture, live subjects and everyday detritus.

It shouldn’t be too shocking that the theme of the 30th anniversary of the Wall’s fall continues elsewhere, albeit with a much different attitude. On Thursday evening, put on your dancing shoes (literally) and head to C/O Berlin for what is not only sure to be a stunning photography exhibition but also a chance to experience a museum-turned-club. “No Photos on the Dance Floor!” chronicles the rise of Berlin’s club scene and how it impacted the city’s rejuvenation from 1989 to today. It includes work by photographers like Wolfgang Tillmans, Lisa Wassmann, Giovanna Silva, Daniel Pflumm and Pfadfinderei, who will also provide live visuals during the opening along with DJ sets by Modeselektor, Krsn and Skate. On certain days throughout the duration of the exhibition, C/O will be closed during the day and actually open instead for club nights. But don’t let the temptation to stay out all night win you over, because we promise you’ll need some energy to make it through the weekend’s unending itinerary.

With a few exceptions, basically every gallery in the city has an opening on Friday: Jochen Lempert at BQ, Yael Bartana at Capitain Petzel, Laure Prouvostat Carlier | Gebauer, Bernhard Martin at Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Olaf Nicolai at Eigen + Art, Zhou Siwei at Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Manuel Solano at Peres Projects, Iulia Nistor at Plan B, Roman Ondak at Esther Schipper, and the list goes on. While you could point a finger at a map with your eyes closed, randomly select an area, and then saunter your way around the clusters on Auguststrasse, Postsdamer Strasse or in Kreuzberg, we’re here to help navigate. It’ll be best to start at Soy Capitán, where Eli Cortiñas will present her video installation TK in the exhibition “Free Circulation = Free Copulation,” and while you’re there, pop in to Klemm’s, which is in the same courtyard, to see the group show “Form, Class & Beauty.” Without giving too much away, these two shows are sure to speak with each other.

Next, head a few blocks north to Konrad Fischer, where, on the top floor of the former substation, the haubrok foundation is hosting a guest exhibition, “rudolf polanszky beleuchtet von f. west” (“Rudolf Polanszky illuminated by F. West”). The title is quite didactic in the sense that lamps by Franz West will be on display, literally illuminating the space, alongside works by Rudolf Polanszky. Both of these artists were inspirations to each other, yet while West found himself in spotlight, Polanszky refused to pursue such a path. Mirroring his refusal of art world attention, the majority of Polanszky’s works also evade meaning—another reason why his name, unlike West, is unfamiliar to most. We’re particularly excited about this show because it marks the public return of the haubrok foundation, which has been prohibited from exhibiting its stunning collection in its space in Lichtenberg for over a year due to decisions made by the district’s administration.

If you’re up for it, call an Uber and head out to Charlottenburg to catch the first glimpse of Anne Imhof’s new paintings and sculptures at Galerie Buchholz. These works act as an extension of her ongoing performance trilogy Sex, in a way making the ephemeral permanent. But a more economical and time-efficient option is to visit Imhof’s show another day, and instead head from Konrad Fischer up to Mitte for the opening of “Making Husbands: Christina Ramberg in Dialogue” at KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Here a selection of Ramberg’s comic, formally elegant, and erotically sinister paintings will be on view along with various other artistic positions, such as those developed by Alexandra Bircken, Rachal Bradley, Ghislaine Leung, Terre Thaemlitz, Kathleen White and more.

In case you haven’t noticed, the majority of exhibitions on view and opening during Berlin Art Week present incredibly strong female perspectives from both individual and group positions. We’re tempted to say that the city learned a lesson from this year’s Gallery Weekend, which included no more than five exhibitions by women artists. However, we do have a feeling the patriarchy will make a comeback at the Art Berlin and Positions art fairs, where the market trumps all. Although there will be international presence at both fairs, the majority of participating galleries actually come from Berlin. So, if after running around town to see the physical outposts of the galleries, you’re left with enough energy to visit the weekend fairs and are then suffocated by the number of white male artists—well, you can’t say we didn’t warn you.