A distinctive art gallery housed in a private residential stairwell in Berlin-Lichterfelde has closed its doors after 15 years of providing exhibition space for unknown and older artists who struggled to find venues for their work. The Treppenhausgalerie (Stairwell Gallery) was the brainchild of Sigrid Braun-Umbach, who opened her private home to artists as a form of artistic self-help initiative.
Braun-Umbach created the unconventional gallery space in response to the challenging reality facing many artists in Berlin's competitive art scene. Unknown artists, particularly older ones, often found it nearly impossible to secure exhibition opportunities in traditional galleries and established art venues. Her decision to transform her home's stairwell into an exhibition space represented a grassroots approach to addressing this gap in the local art community.
The gallery operated on the principle of providing accessible exhibition opportunities for artists who might otherwise remain invisible in Berlin's art landscape. Located in the residential district of Lichterfelde in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough, the intimate venue offered a unique setting that challenged conventional notions of where and how art should be displayed.
After more than a decade of supporting emerging and overlooked artists, Braun-Umbach has made the difficult decision to permanently close the Treppenhausgalerie. The closure marks the end of an era for this innovative community-driven art space that served as both a gallery and a symbol of creative resilience in Berlin's evolving cultural landscape.
