This show was selected as part of Berlin Oomph powered by Hallen 05—a curated roundup of the best contemporary art exhibitions and events held by galleries, museums, and institutions in town during Hallen 05, September 2024.
Mark Bradford launches his much—anticipated first solo exhibition in Germany, marking the reopening of the historic Rieckhallen at the Hamburger Bahnhof. This bold showcase, entitled “Mark Bradford: Keep Walking,” features 20 dynamic works spanning two decades, including paintings, sculptures, expansive installations, and videos. The exhibition offers an immersive exploration of race, gender, and economic inequality, presenting a compelling narrative that engages both the mind and the senses. One of the exhibition’s highlights is the monumental hanging sculpture Spoiled Foot, originally created for the US Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Also featured are the multimedia installation Pinocchio Is On Fire (2010/2015), which confronts the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, and the walkable floor painting Float (2019/2024), specifically adapted for this exhibition. Visitors are invited to physically engage with these works, becoming aware of their own movement through space and reflecting on the resilience of marginalised communities in the face of systemic violence and oppression.
“Mark Bradford: Keep Walking” opens with the striking paintings You Don’t Have to Tell Me Twice (2023), which reference train schedules from the era of the Great Migration—a period when millions of Black Americans fled the southern United States between 1910 and 1970. The exhibition also delves into the role of media in shaping stereotypes, as seen in Pinocchio Is On Fire, which features a sound tunnel, 27 vinyl records, and the poignant video Spiderman (2015). This installation addresses a 1982 media incident involving R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass and a trans dancer, with each of the 27 vinyl covers designed by Bradford representing an acquaintance of the artist who died from AIDS.
The exhibition culminates with the video Niagara (2005), displayed on a suspended canvas. This piece reinterprets Marilyn Monroe’s iconic walk from the 1953 film Niagara, replacing Monroe with Bradford’s former neighbour Melvin, who strides confidently down a Los Angeles boulevard. The video challenges viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of space and race, as Melvin, a young Black man, asserts his right to move freely despite societal prejudices.
at Hamburger Banhof, Berlin
until May 18, 2025