In times of crisis, culture is often the first thing to be cut. This has become strikingly evident in Berlin over the past months: the Senate’s austerity measures have hit freelance artists particularly hard. That’s why the second edition of the exhibition series fight or flight turns its attention to something essential for artistic work and livelihood – and at the same time, painfully lacking: money.

Curated by Julie Legouez and Evelina Reiter, the exhibition brings together 33 artistic positions. Their works reflect lived realities where creative labor is inseparable from economic pressure. At the core is the everyday life of the art world. These works dismantle the myth of artistic labor and expose the often harsh realities beneath. They address classism, marginalization, and the biographical factors that shape access and visibility. The spectrum ranges from job centers to luxury goods, from rejected grant applications to predatory landlords. The works orbit around status symbols, violence and morality, bureaucracy and gambling, nutrition and home ownership, penny-pinching and lucky charms. One thing becomes clear: being an artist alone is rarely enough to make a living – many work additional jobs, often in care work or other sectors.

In short, fight or flight II is an emotional rollercoaster between euphoria and exhaustion. The participating artists visually explore the complexity of a system that demands creativity while offering little protection. Their works revolve around the fight for space – both literally and symbolically: housing shortages, rising rents, lack of funding structures, and the stigmatization of state aid run through the exhibition like a red thread. Central to the project is close collaboration with FINT* artists (women, intersex, non-binary and trans individuals). It sees itself as a space of mutual support, fostering a network where artistic and solidaric connections can grow. Through collaborative work, new professional contacts, long-term relationships, and perspectives emerge that extend far beyond the exhibition.

An extensive program of workshops, readings, and discussions creates additional spaces for exchange. Artists and visitors come together, share experiences, develop collective strategies, and connect across disciplines and institutional boundaries.

fight or flight II raises its voice, creates visibility, and breaks supposed taboos. In a time of crumbling funding structures and mounting pressure on the independent art scene, the project sends a strong collective signal – against social and economic inequality in the arts. What remains? Coming together – in solidarity, in new alliances, and in the pursuit of a more just art world.

Text by Julia Meyer-Brehm