Kunst:Offen in Vorpommern – Rügen

A Whitsun Weekend, Five Hundred Workshops

For three days a year, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern transforms into an open workshop: Kunst:Offen is one of the oldest and largest initiatives for studio visits in Germany. Around 1,000 artists at about 500 locations open their doors on the Whitsun weekend – from farm studios behind Zingst to the town museum in Bergen, from pottery workshops in the Bodden landscape to sculptor yards in the hinterland of Greifswald.

The Rügen Section

On Rügen, Germany's largest island, the art scene is surprisingly dense. Painters who have captured the light over the Bodden landscape for decades, ceramicists from Putbus, sculptors in Garz, photographers in Sassnitz and on Mönchgut – they all invite you to look over their shoulders during the weekend. In Bergen auf Rügen, the town museum traditionally serves as a hub, complemented by private studios such as that of Kathrin Thesenvitz. In Putbus, Circus 7 opens its doors, and in Garz, several courtyards and small yards can be experienced over the weekend.

What Distinguishes Kunst:Offen from a Museum?

Unlike a curated exhibition, here you experience the artist at their workplace – with an easel, kiln, or workbench in the room. You can watch, ask questions, and sometimes even lend a hand. Many studios offer additional workshops on Whitsun: pottery, printing, painting, writing. This is art to touch, not just to hang.

A Tradition That Fits the Island

The format was adopted in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the early 1990s and has since become an integral part of the state's cultural calendar. Whitsun is the ideal time: the start of the season, long days, the weather usually already suitable for the beach, but the summer tourists not yet in full swing. The initiative is organized statewide by the Künstlerbund Mecklenburg und Vorpommern (Mecklenburg and Pomerania Artists' Association), coordinated from one cultural region to another by local tourism associations and platforms like Gutes aus Vorpommern.

How to Plan

• Before the weekend, download the studio guide (PDF with map) from kultur-mv.de or gutes-aus-vorpommern.de
• Put together a route through a sub-region (e.g., Bergen → Putbus → Garz for the Rügen tour)
• Allow enough time for conversations – the encounter with the artists is the core of the concept
• Due to freely accessible private spaces: be respectful and considerate