Nestled pretty much smack bang in the middle of the Moritzplatz, Prinzenstraße and Kottbusser Tor triangle, Praterstraße Berlin places a firm emphasis on quality with its intimate exhibitions—traversing the potential quagmires that emerge when curators clutter up a space. Displaying works from various mediums (including painting, sculpture and kinetic art) the one room gallery has displayed artists such as Berlin-based Max Frey, Los Angeles’s Taft Green and Vienna’s Rudolf Steckholzer, and it’s also provided a platform for the inventive Michael Franz. Moreover, each exhibition is accompanied by a public dinner—called Kantine—so you can pull up a pew and digest more than just what’s on the walls.

Sunken at the forefront of the RAW maze-like compound, Urban Spree is a graffiti-laden brick and concrete self-proclaimed “(re)creative space”—but don’t let that put you off. Pretentious parentheses in the description aside, if you walk on by you’re missing out. Upstairs, an artist’s laboratory and workshop rings with buzz-words of Berlin’s urbanization: engage, interact, collaborate, fuck off Media Spree etc. With the multifaceted city itself as an inspirational source, the program of events is fittingly schizophrenic. Previous times have seen the space give a temporary home to a Flohmarkt, a short film festival, Berlin fashion week, even a Korean food night, plus all the usuals – so keep your eyes on their schedule as there’s no telling what’ll come next.

A waste of space: so would the eulogy sound for the 20,000 sq.ft. Skalitzer Post building if it wasn’t dragged back from the pearly gates by global powerhouse art curator, Leah Stuhltrager. A long time unused and unappreciated—apart from it’s iconic outer shell—the structure has had its act pulled together, been given a fresh lick of paint and a new purpose in life. Et Voila: The Wye is born.

There’s a lot happening here and plenty in the pipeline, so to avoid confusion let’s call The Wye an international art house. Yet, beneath that umbrella term lies its charm: spanning five floors are artist studios and residencies, a gallery, a library, an event hall, a concept store and even more room for who knows what. You’ll have to attend their multi-discipline events and projects to find out.

In the core of Berlin’s historical center Loop-raum für aktuelle kunst is a vast gallery space that focuses mainly on young, emerging art in Berlin.

Founded as an independent art project in the Edison courtyards of Schlegelstrasse in Mitte in 1997, Loop has transformed into a promotional platform for young artists allowing them to showcase their works that span everything from paintings, sketches and drawings, to sculpture, installations, photography and video pieces.

As one of the trailblazers of Berlin’s international art scene, Loop continues to embody the vibrancy and creative potential of the reunified city. After exhibiting extensively in and around Berlin for ten years, pioneering in Berlin’s project culture and founding the art fair “Preview Berlin”, Loop is now returning to its roots by focusing on the activities at their own gallery space in the heart of Berlin.

Attended to by the hyper-imaginative Swiss couple Knut Remond and Katharina Moos since 2008, ohrenhoch der Geräuschladen brings noise to the center of attention. Open to the public only on Sunday afternoons, ohrenhoch serves drinks—like the special peppermint-ginger-green ohrenhoch tea—to people who first and foremost listen.

From the speakers home-built by Remond, a sound artist himself, listeners can contemplate sonic works and installations by foreign and local artists and, periodically, pieces created by the ohrenhoch Kids. The “Kids” are 5 to 14-year-olds participating in Remond’s weekly workshops teaching children techniques of electro-acoustic music, field recording, Hörspiel and sound installation.