Overview
- The presidential residence opened to the public on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as a two‑week exhibition called "Freiraum Kunst" with free entry by timed ticket.
- More than 20 members of the Akademie der Künste show works in the emptied state rooms, including a nocturnal SOS light by Bjørn Melhus, a 1:5 miniature of Steinmeier by Karin Sander, and a comic portrait by El Bocho.
- Steinmeier used the opening to present the show as a civic reminder that liberal democracy guarantees artistic freedom and urged politicians and citizens to protect that freedom.
- Schloss Bellevue is scheduled to close in early July for several years of renovation, with the presidential office relocating to the Spreebogen while work is carried out.
- The pop‑up both makes practical use of otherwise empty rooms and continues Bellevue’s role as a public, cultural site, giving citizens temporary access to the official residence and signaling how the presidency plans to carry an open civic culture into its temporary quarters.