Pace Gallery Berlin Explores the Art of Nightlife in New Group Exhibition

The Story

A bar is the unlikely centerpiece of the ongoing Goodbye Sadness, Hello Sadness. But it is Pace Berlin after all. You can expect the unexpected when it comes to settings and interiors from the mega-gallery’s German outpost, itself housed in an ex-gas 1950s station in Schöneberg.

The gallery is exploring the euphoric and melancholic landscapes of nightlife in its latest group exhibition, running until August 23. Anchored by a replica of “Bar Va Bene”, Friedrich Kunath’s storied studio bar on the ground floor, the showcase steeps visitors in the moods and codes of the after-hours through the works of 27 artists, including David Lynch, Pol Taburet, Robert Nava, Kylie Manning, Elmgreen & Dragset, Alicja Kwade, and more

Goodbye Sadness, Hello Sadness, which shines in neon letters on opposite ends of Kunath’s art bar, takes its name after Bonjour Tristesse, the 1954 novel by the then-18-year-old Françoise Sagan. Famed (and controversial) for its themes of unapologetic desire and hedonism, the book sets the stage for the exhibition’s exploration of abandon and belonging, where night serves as not just a social site, but an affective metaphor for possibility and uncertainty.

Between dusk and dawn contains entire worlds. Several works riff on icons of club life and exclusivity, such as Elmgreen & Dragset’s “But I’m on The Guest List” (2007–15), a “VIP” door leading nowhere, while “Flash” (2025) by Esben Weile Kjær reimagines the disco ball as a giant shimmering bee. Elsewhere, Lauren Quin debuts a new gestural painting that finds meaning in the haze, while Kylie Manning presents a new work that occupies a similarly dynamic psychological terrain.

Goodbye Sadness, Hello Sadness is now on view in Berlin until August 23. The gallery will be open for extended hours for “Bar Va Bene,” which you can check out Thursday through Sunday from 5 PM to 10 PM. Read on for the full list of artists.

Carolina Aguirre Jürgen Baldiga Norbert Bisky Monica Bonvicini Albrecht Dürer Martin Eder Leon Eisermann Elmgreen & Dragset Xie Fan Gregor Hildebrandt Okka-Esther Hungerbühler Max Jahn Esben Weile Kjaer Friedrich Kunath Alicja Kwade Nadine Lohof David Lynch Kylie Manning Andreas Mühe Robert Nava Trevor Paglen Lauren Quin Christian Rosa Jeremy Shaw Pol Taburet Tristan Unrau Sally von Rosen

Original report

Hypebeast

Read full story

Cookie Preferences

We believe privacy is a right, not a trade-off. Choose exactly what you're comfortable with. You can change these any time. Full privacy policy.

Essential Always on

Required for the site to function

Session management, security tokens, login state, and your cookie preference itself. These cannot be turned off. No personal data is shared with third parties.

Analytics Optional

Helps us understand what content you enjoy

We use anonymised analytics (e.g. Google Analytics) to see which articles perform well, how long people spend reading, and where traffic comes from. This helps us write better content. Your IP address is anonymised and no data is sold.

Personalisation Optional

Remembers your preferences across visits

Remembers your reading preferences and recently read articles so we can surface relevant content. All data stays in your browser — nothing is sent to our servers.

Advertising Optional

Used to show relevant ads that support the site

Allows advertising partners to show you ads based on your interests. If you decline, you'll still see ads but they won't be tailored to you. We work with Google AdSense and similar networks. You can opt out globally at youronlinechoices.eu.