- Open Format
Dead Darlings #20 - Drama
Dead Darlings
28 June 2025 14:00–21:00
Drama - yet another dramatic collaboration between Dead Darlings and Heimathafen Neukölln. As Dead Darlings take the stage in Berlin for a 2nd time, we pay homage to the theatre hosting our anonymous art auction by introducing the theme: Drama! As drama plays out on the world stage as well, and conditions change, artists are forced to deal with obstacles that sometimes pose questions regarding not only the value of art, but the value of artistic expression and its role in our communities.
Our auctions are anonymous. This means that all the selected artists will be listed alphabetically, but no one will know who made what work until after the piece sells! We want people to bid for an artwork they like, not because they heard the name of the maker before, or know the market value of a piece, but because they see something they personally connect with! We mix artists from different backgrounds and contexts because that diversity makes things both interesting and inclusive!
Our auctions are anonymous. This means that all the selected artists will be listed alphabetically, but no one will know who made what work until after the piece sells! We want people to bid for an artwork they like, not because they heard the name of the maker before, or know the market value of a piece, but because they see something they personally connect with! We mix artists from different backgrounds and contexts because that diversity makes things both interesting and inclusive!
Biography
Dead Darlings
Dead Darlings is an anonymous art auction founded in 2005 as a platform to explore the complex love triangle between artist, artwork, and collector.
Our events combine elements of performance and exhibition. Our focus is on artefacts whose value is ambiguous: dead darlings. This refers to a work that an artist has created, yet for any variety of reasons, has not brought to light. The auction offers works at absurdly low starting prices mocking one of the art market’s most solemn manifestations. We also aim to extend the label of “art collector” to people who would not otherwise be able to afford original contemporary art works. We try to reflect on why a particular work has been designated in such a way, challenging notions of value, demand, desirability and commerce.
Our events combine elements of performance and exhibition. Our focus is on artefacts whose value is ambiguous: dead darlings. This refers to a work that an artist has created, yet for any variety of reasons, has not brought to light. The auction offers works at absurdly low starting prices mocking one of the art market’s most solemn manifestations. We also aim to extend the label of “art collector” to people who would not otherwise be able to afford original contemporary art works. We try to reflect on why a particular work has been designated in such a way, challenging notions of value, demand, desirability and commerce.
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